Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Anne Caroline Blatch was born on 22 April 1837 in Esher, Surrey, England – the daughter of Henry Frederick Blatch, a gardener, and Sarah Mercy Batchelor.
She arrived in Otago with her family in March 1848 on the John Wickliffe and they settled at Maungatua on the Taieri Plains.
Anne married Frederick Henry Watts in 1857 and they had eight children, one who died in infancy.
Shortly after the birth of their youngest child Frederick was arrested for lunacy and sent to the Dunedin Asylum. He died there in 1872 and is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
When Anne signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family at Maungatua.
She died on 14 June 1908 at her home and is buried in the West Taieri Cemetery with her infant son.
'The deceased lady was never more content than when at home among her flowers, of which she was passionately fond'.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Going Abroad http://www.ngaiopress.com/drhocken.htm
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