Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Elisha Currie was born about 1836 in Ireland – the daughter of Henry Currie, a calico block printer, and Margaret.
She came to Scotland with her family as a young child and they lived in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire.
Elisha married Alexander McRae, a calico machine printer, on 8 July 1859 in Bonhill. They do not appear to have had any children and by the time of the 1871 census Elisha was a widow living with her widowed father and siblings.
She married Walter Whyte, a carpenter and widower with eight children, in 1872.
In 1874 they sailed for Otago on the “Parsee” accompanied by three of Walter’s children.
When Elisha signed the suffrage petition the family were living at New St, Woodhaugh in Dunedin.
Elisha died at her home on 22 July 1905 and Walter died in 1909 – they are buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery.
Sources:
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
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