Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Jessie Murray was born in 1871 in New Zealand – the daughter of Robert Scott Murray, a farmer, and Mary Young. (See 106 Mary Murray senr)
The family farmed at Merton, North East Valley and Shag Valley before moving to Puerua in 1887 where Jessie signed the suffrage petition.
Jessie had a son in 1893 with Alfred Peter Farrell, alias Alfred Fullerton Raynes, a tailor.
A warrant was issued in September 1893 for Alfred’s arrest for disobeying a maintenance order issued in Balclutha.
He was arrested in Palmerston North in July 1895 and was brought south by the police.
Jessie married Alfred on 5 August 1895 at the Puerua Registrar’s Office.
They had a son in October 1895, at this time Alfred was a creamery manager at Pahiatua. After this he disappears from the records.
Jessie remained in Pahiatua for many years, she died in Auckland on 14 July 1948 and is buried in the Waikumete Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Auckland Council https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/cemeteries