Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Catherine McConnell was born on 19 July 1865 in Glasgow, Scotland – the daughter of Hugh McConnell, a tailor, & Catherine Owens. (See 94 Catherine Ryan)
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1874 on the “Mairi Bhan” and they settled in Dunedin.
Her father died in 1881 and her mother remarried in 1884.
Catherine married George Wakelin, an ironmoulder, in 1893 and when she signed the suffrage petition they were living in Forth St, Roslyn.
They had five children.
George died in 1934 and Catherine died on 26 August 1962 – they are buried together 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
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk