Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Christina De Young Carmichael was born on 18 March 1856 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland – the daughter of Peter Carmichael, a butcher, and Dorothea Baker.
She emigrated to New Zealand with her family about 1861 and they settled in Sandymount on the Otago Peninsula.
Christina married John McTainsh, a farmer, in 1877 and they had 11 children.
When she signed the suffrage petition the family were living at Sandymount.
Christina was a successful competitor in the Otago Agricultural & Pastoral Society shows, winning numerous prizes in the butter competitions.
In 1908 they sold their farm and retired to Hornby near Christchurch.
John died the following year when his gig was hit by a train at the Sockburn railway crossing.
Christina died on 10 September 1938 at her daughter’s home in Christchurch, she is buried with John in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
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