Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Sarah Coburn was born about 1855 in Wigtownshire, Scotland – the daughter of Joseph Coburn, an agricultural labourer, and Mary Ann Rankin.
Sarah emigrated to Otago with her family in 1873 on the Charlotte Gladstone.
The family settled in Dunedin and Sarah married William Beattie Mowatt Fea, a commercial traveller, on 8 January 1878.
They had five children, the first two children died within a few days of birth.
When Sarah signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Broughton St, Roslyn.
William worked for Gregg & Co and worked his way up to the role of managing director.
William died in 1937 and Sarah died on 23 March 1945 at her home 'Hillescarth' Highgate, Dunedin.
They are buried together in the Northern Cemetery.
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