Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Ann McMillan was born about 1842 in Scotland. She married Angus McQueen, a carpenter, at her mother’s home in Dunedin in December 1861.
They had seven children, three who died in infancy. The family moved to Tapanui in South Otago a few years after their marriage where a notice appeared in the newspaper in 1870 advising that 'Ishall not be responsible for any debt my wife, Ann McQueen, may incur after this date.'
Things deteriorated in 1888 when Angus sued Ann for divorce on the grounds of adultery.
Angus gave evidence that Ann 'had been behaving badly. On several occasions she had gone out at night and had not returned.'
When cross-examined Angus said that he was 'not a notorious drunkard, but a prohibition order had been obtained against him, and against his wife also.'
The local doctor was called to give evidence who said 'during the time he had attended Mrs McQueen she had been more or less in a state of intoxication. She was a terribly dissolute woman. Her husband was a drunkard.'
The case was dismissed due to the judge declaring that Angus had condoned the behaviour and tried to obtain a large amount of damages.
The couple appear to have continued living together in Tapanui – the 1893 Electoral Roll gives Ann’s occupation as wife.
Angus died in Dunedin Hospital in 1900 and Ann died on 11 March 1911, they are buried in the Tapanui Cemetery.
Sources
Tapanui Burial Register
Clutha District Council https://www.cluthadc.govt.nz
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz