Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Ann was born about 1830.
She first appears in Otago in the 1870’s when she was living with Henry Biefeld, the owner of the Old Times Restaurant in Dunedin.
Henry died in 1878 & left Ann provided for in his will.
Ann carried on with the business alone until the following year when Mrs Ann Innes married John Hugh Fitzsimmons on January 14th 1879 in Dunedin.
Ann & John continued running the restaurant until the 1880’s.
When Ann signed the suffrage petition they were living in Stafford Street & John was working as a fishmonger.
Ann died at her home on July 11th1894 – the main beneficiaries of her will were her husband John & Elizabeth Matilda Stewart.
Ann is buried with Heinrich Biefeld in the Southern Cemetery.
John died in the Dunedin Hospital the following year - he is also buried in the Southern Cemetery.
Sources
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