Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Agnes Helen Cheyne was born in 1865 in New Zealand – the daughter of John Cheyne & Sarah.
She married Thomas Theodore King, a postmaster, in 1882 and they had two children.
When Agnes signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Gore where, in 1895, their 12-year-old son drowned while swimming in the Waikaka River.
Agnes worked as librarian at the Coronation Library in Gore.
Around 1911 Thomas was promoted to Chief Postmaster in Greymouth then transferred to Dunedin about five years later.
Agnes died at her daughter’s home in Lyttelton on 27 September 1920 – her burial place is unknown.
Her obituary said she 'had been suffering for a long time past, but during her long period of illness was always bright and cheery.'
Thomas re-married in 1923 - he died in 1926 and is buried in the Karori Cemetery, Wellington.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/
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