Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Helen Anderson Swan was born about 1846 in Smailholm, Roxburgshire, Scotland – the daughter of Peter Swan, an agricultural labourer, and Isabella Anderson.
She emigrated to New Zealand with her family in the early 1860’s and they settled at Grove Bush in Southland.
Helen married draper Alexander Mair on 11 April 1866 in Invercargill.
They had 10 children and when Helen signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Don Street.
Helen died on 20 August 1911 and Alexander died in 1919 – they are buried in the family grave in the Invercargill Eastern Cemetery.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Invercargill City Council https://icc.govt.nz