Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Agnes Robertson was born on July 29th 1838 in Auchtermuchty, Fife – the daughter of Peter Robertson, an agricultural labourer, and Helen Taylor.
She married John Arnott Reekie, a hand loom linen weaver in 1858 and they had a daughter the following year.
In 1861 the family boarded the Pladda as assisted passengers bound for Otago.
They settled in Dunedin where they had a further 9 children, one was stillborn and one died in infancy.
In 1879 John was charged with threatening Agnes saying ‘I will break your skull. You are a _____ liar.’ John admitted the charge and was bound over to keep the peace for 3 months.
When Agnes signed the suffrage petition the family were farming in Andersons Bay Road.
Agnes was before the court in 1898 for ‘allowing cattle to wander at Andersons Bay’, she was let off with a caution.
John died in 1912 and Agnes died at her daughter in laws’ home in North East Valley on October 25th 1927 – they are buried in the family grave in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.