Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Annie Agnes Nichol was born about 1837 in Tasmania, Australia – the daughter of Robert Nichol, a bank clerk, and Ann Willis. (See 341 Ann Nichol)
She married John William Raymond, a sheep farmer and widower, on 27 September 1859 at her home at New Town, Tasmania.
Shortly after their marriage they came to New Zealand where their nine children were born.
They lived for a short time in Invercargill before moving to Avondale farm.
Their 20 roomed farmhouse was destroyed by fire in 1880 – the following year Avondale Estate was sold.
At the height of the rabbit plague John was very much in demand for recipe for rabbit poison.
The family came to live at Bluff and when Annie signed the suffrage petition the family were living at Greenhills near Bluff.
She died on 6 March 1911 at Wyndham - her obituary said she 'had a fine presence and a graceful bearing, typifying the true gentlewoman.'
John died the following year in Invercargill, they are buried in the family grave in the Bluff Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Invercargill City Council https://icc.govt.nz
Libraries Tasmania https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au
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