Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Janet/Jessie Jane Bowler Kirkland was born in 1873, probably in Hokitika – the daughter of Rev James Kirkland and Mary Hamilton Dougal. (See 77 Mary Kirkland)
The family later moved to West Taieri and when Jessie signed the suffrage petition she was living at the Manse, West Taieri in Outram.
She married Charles James Kerr, a master mariner, on 27 April 1898 at the West Taieri Church and they had four children.
They spent some time in Scotland before returning to New Zealand for the birth of their youngest child in 1912.
They retired to Geraldine in South Canterbury.
Charles died in 1942 in Christchurch and Jessie died on 15 September 1953 in Dunedin, they were both cremated.
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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk