Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Agnes Grey was born about 1843 in Ayrshire, Scotland, the daughter of James Grey, a shoemaker, and Ann Marr.
Agnes came to New Zealand in the early 1860s and married David Blackie, a carpenter, on 21 October 1864 at York Place, Dunedin. They had 14 children over the next 23 years.
The family lived in Dunedin, then moved to Ravensbourne, West Harbour where Agnes signed the suffrage petition. Two of Agnes' daughters - Margaret and Annie - also signed the petition.
David worked at Guthrie & Larnarch’s timber works until 1880 when he left & started 'Blackie & Baxter'. This business was declared insolvent in 1883.
In 1889 David was working in the Catlins as the overseer for a bush clearing operation. The following year he was again declared insolvent.
David died at his home in 1899. Agnes later moved to Dunedin where she died on 2 June 1927. She is buried with David 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