Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Esther Adelaide Minn was born in Essex, England in 1864 – the daughter of David Minn, a railway labourer, and Louisa Casbourn.
She emigrated to Wellington with her family in 1874 on the “Soukar” and by the 1880’s they had moved to Dunedin.
Esther married Thomas Tait, a baker, in 1884 and they had nine children, one who died in infancy.
When Esther signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Rothesay, now Ravensbourne, West Harbour.
In 1903 Thomas retired and as he was feeling depressed Esther accompanied him to see the doctor who recommended a trip to Middlemarch for a change of scene.
Shortly after this Thomas left on the train to visit a friend in South Dunedin, he was never seen again despite thorough searches being made.
He was declared dead the following year.
Esther moved to Dunedin and from 1908 to 1916 six of Esther’s remaining children died.
She died on 21 July 1935 and is buried in the Northern 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
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz