Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Helen/Nellie Boyd was born in New Zealand in 1867 – the daughter of James Boyd, a labourer, and Mary Burns. (See 98 Mrs Boyd)
When Helen signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family in North Taieri Rd, Dunedin working as a dressmaker.
She married John Gordon MacDonald, a farmer, on 27 September 1899 at her parent’s home in Dunedin.
They had five children and lived in Papakaio, North Otago.
John died at 'The Homestead', Papakaio in 1932 and Helen died in June 1952, they are buried together in the Oamaru Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Waitaki District Council https://www.waitaki.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