Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Kate Bayly was born about 1865 in New Zealand – the daughter of William Bayly, a farmer, and Loveday Jarvis.
She grew up on the family farm at Pukekohe Hill where she married William James Comrie, a newly ordained clergyman, on April 18th 1889.
They had 6 children and lived at Waiuku and Kelso in South Otago where Mary signed the suffrage petition.
After this they spent 5 years in Fairlie in South Canterbury before moving to Hastings.
In 1906 they moved to Wellington where William worked as “general treasurer of the Church and secretary to the Church property trustees.”
He became Moderator of the General Assembly in 1922.
Mary “took a full share in her husband’s activities, especially in the interest of temperance reform”.
She died at her home in Mount Eden on April 18th 1844 and William died the following year – they are buried in the Pukekohe East Cemetery.