Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Jane/Minnie Higgins was born in 1864 in New Zealand – the daughter of Mark Higgins, a storekeeper, and Jessie Scott.
The family lived at Waitahuna in South Otago where Jane’s father died in 1878.
Her mother retained the store until she was declared bankrupt in 1886.
Jane married miner Francis Smith Webster on 27 September 1887 at her home in Waitahuna – they had a daughter the following year.
When Jane signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Leith Walk – later called Craigleith St – in North East Valley, Dunedin and Francis was working as a draper’s assistant.
Francis died in 1942 and Jane died on 20 November 1944 – they are buried with their daughter in the Andersons Bay 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
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/