Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Janet/Jessie Macdonald Emslie was born on 21 August 1872 in Glasgow, Scotland – the daughter of Hugh Emslie, a joiner, and Mary Black.
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1877 on the James Nicol Fleming – her father died the following year and a benefit concert was held for the family.
Jessie married Arthur Edward Reeves, a labourer and poultry grit manufacturer, on 11 July 1891 in Dunedin.
They had 10 children and when Jessie signed the suffrage petition they were living at Romahapa.
They later lived in Mataura then Dunedin where Arthur worked as an umbrella maker.
Jessie died at their home in St Kilda, Dunedin on 14 September 1919 and Arthur died in 1939, they are buried in the family grave 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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/