Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Ann Lewis was born about 1836 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland – the daughter of John Lewis, a stocking maker, and Margaret Cunningham.
She married George Munro, a monumental sculptor, on 2 October 1857 in New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire and they had two children before the family emigrated to Otago in 1861 on the “Silistria”.
They settled in Dunedin and had a further seven children, one who died in infancy.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Victoria St, St Clair.
George twice visited Britain and Italy for his work – whether Mary travelled with him is unknown.
George died in 1898 and Mary died on 20 December 1914 – they are buried in the family grave in the Northern 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
NZ Yesteryears http://www.yesteryears.co.nz
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.
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