Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Sarah was born about 1842 in County Donegal, Ireland. She was married to Thomas Montague and was possibly the Sarah Harvey who married Thomas Montague, an ironstone miner, on 31 December 1860 in Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.
This couple can be found in 1861 living in Glenlogan Village, Ayrshire under the name of McTague.
They came to New Zealand about 1862 and settled in Dunedin – they were to have a total of 10 children, one who died in infancy.
In 1879 Thomas was issued with a maintenance order forcing him to support four of his children, he failed to comply with the order and, in 1882, the case came to court again.
Sarah said she was unable to work and keep her children and she wanted the order enforced. Thomas was apparently living with another woman and had 4 children by her.
Thomas disappears from the scene after this and when Sarah signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family in Cargill St, South Dunedin.
Sarah died on 16 February 1926 and is buried in the Southern Cemetery with two of her children.
Her obituary reads she 'was well-beloved by all who knew her, and was always willing to give a helping hand to those in distress. For a great many years she had been an invalid.'
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions