Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Jane Weddell Thomson was born about 1842 in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, Scotland. She arrived in New Zealand about 1865.
In 1871 she married Frederick Ablestedt/Abelsted, a gold miner from Norway. They had three children and lived in the Bendigo area of Central Otago. Frederick was involved with the 'Rise & Shine' mining company at Bendio then later the Zealandia company at Nenthorn.
When she signed the suffrage petition, Jane was living in George St, Dunedin with her two daughters and Frederick was mining at Naseby. Her daughter, Marion Abelsted, also signed the petition.
Frederick died in 1906 and, in 1908, Jane married William Edward Sessions, an accountant. William died in 1917 and Jane died on 3 December 1926.
She is buried with William in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org