Mrs Swanson

Signed family name

Swanson

Signed given name

Mrs

Given address

Mornington

Sheet number

117

Town/Suburb

Mornington

City/Region

Dunedin

Notes

Originally transcribed as Mrs Swansen

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Margaret Anderson was born about 1840 in Caithness, Scotland – the daughter of Alexander Anderson, a blacksmith, and Alexandrina McAdam.

She married Sinclair Swanson, also a blacksmith, on 31 December 1861 and they had 10 children, two who died in infancy.

In 1875 the family emigrated to Otago on the Nelson – their youngest child died on the voyage.

The family settled in Dunedin where they had a further four children and when Margaret signed the suffrage petition they were living in Hawthorne Ave, Mornington.

Margaret and Sinclair celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1912 – 'over 50 guests, including one of the bridesmaids of 50 years ago, participated in the pleasing event.'

Margaret died at her home on 26 November 1914 and Sinclair died in 1916 – they are buried in the family grave in the Southern Cemetery.