Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Jessie Moir Wright was born in Dunedin in 1870 – her birth was registered as Jessie Moir Kilsyth – daughter of Agnes and Philip (See 39 Agnes Wright). This appears to be a fictitious entry to cover up an illegitimate birth.
In September 1891 Jessie’s mother took William Spence to court on the charge of 'seducing' Jessie, he was found guilty and Jessie’s son was born later that year. William was the teacher of dance classes that Jessie and her sister had attended and was also a married man.
When she signed the suffrage petition Jessie was living with her mother and sister (See 39 Jane Wright) in Broughton St, South Dunedin working as a laundress.
She married Joseph Prestidge, a brewer and farmer from Horarata on 4 November 1896 at St Mary’s, Addington and they had seven children.
In later life they moved to Christchurch where Joseph died in 1933 and Jessie died on 18 October 1935 – they are buried together in the Sydenham Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz