Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Ann McCracken was born in County Down, Ireland.
She came to New Zealand where she married William John Abernethy, a miner, on 12February 1870 at Gabriels Gully.
They had a son the following year who died in 1875 and is buried in the Lawrence Cemetery.
In 1881 they sold their home and farm before moving to Dunedin.
They lived in St Clair where Mary signed the suffrage petition and William worked as a dairyman.
They advertised their furnished cottage to let in 1892 and appear to have moved to Palmerston.
William died in 1908 – he is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
In 1909 “Seaforth House” St Clair was advertised for sale – “Instructed by Mrs Abernethy, who is leaving for Western Australia”.
Where and when Mary died is unknown.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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