Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Jessie Anderson was born in 1864 in New Zealand – the daughter or George Anderson, a farmer, and Jessie Dow. (See 143 Jessie Anderson)
Jessie’s son Douglas James Rowland Thomson was born in March 1890 and she married James Douglas Thomson, probably Douglas’ father, in October the same year.
When she signed the suffrage petition Jessie was living with her family in Broad Bay on the Otago Peninsula.
James worked as a ship’s quartermaster and, in 1900, Jessie brought a petition for divorce before the court on the grounds of desertion.
The divorce was granted and James did not appear in court.
When Jessie was acting as executor for her mother’s will in 1909 she gave her occupation as boarding house keeper.
She died on 12 April 1943 and is buried 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
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions