Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Alice Robertine Fenwick was born in 1861 in Dunedin – the daughter of Robert Fenwick, a hotel keeper, and Robertine Jane Brown.
She was 'educated at the Old Stone School and at St. Dominic’s College', in Dunedin.
On 13 February 1879 she married Silas Spragg, a newspaper reporter, at All Saint’s Church in Dunedin.
They had four children and when Alice signed the suffrage petition they were living in George St, Dunedin.
They spent time in Wellington while Silas worked for the Hansard paper before retiring to Milton in South Otago where they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1929.
Silas died in 1935, after his death Alice returned to Dunedin where she died on 26 June 1942 – she is buried with Silas in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.
Alice’s obituary said 'though not of a robust constitution, she was a woman of strong and fine character. Blessed with a remarkable memory and a great sense of humour, she had a wonderful store of information and anecdotes relating to the early days.'
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/