Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Jane Crow was born in 1868 in Lawrence in Central Otago – the son of James Crow, a miner, and Elizabeth Kerr.
The family moved to Dunedin in 1882 and when Jane signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family in Russell Street.
Jane was a member of the Workers’ Educational Association showing “enthusiasm in the literature and drama classes of that movement. Nothing was a trouble to Miss Crow in the matter of scenery, props, and production, and she was no mean actress”.
She was “an early member of the Otago Women’s Club, frequently gaining recognition for her short stories. She was a member of the committee of the Poetry Circle, and her papers on favourite poets were well prepared. Her exhibit at the club’s flower show was always a worthy one.”
Jane was also “an active member of the Dunedin Horticultural Society over a long number of years” and she was made a life member of the Anderson’s Bay Women’s Bowling Club for her “enthusiastic service”.
Jane died on 26 October 1949 – she was cremated & her ashes were scattered.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
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
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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