Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Jessie Riddell was born about 1853 in Scotland – the daughter of George Riddell, a shepherd, and Jane Douglas.
In 1857 Jessie, accompanied by her parents and brother, sailed for Victoria, Australia on the “Morning Light”.
Her sister Elizabeth was born there in 1858 before the family, once again set sail, this time for Otago later in the year.
They settled in South Otago where Jessie’s mother died in 1865.
Jessie married Samuel Dyer, a wood turner, on 25 November 1875 in Dunedin and they had seven children, one who died in infancy.
When she signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Forth St, Dunedin.
Samuel died in 1924 and Jessie died on 28 October 1931 – they are buried together in the Northern 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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au