Surname:
Thompson
Given names:
M.
Given address:
Witness M. Thompson
Notes:
Biographical information provided by Brett McKay, first published in the newsletter of the Thorndon Society
May Thompson is one of 82 Thorndon signatories, in addition to acting as a witness for 23 of those who signed. Her husband William acted as witness for a further eight women.
May is known to have actively participated in events run by the Methodist Church Friendly Society. The society provided medical assistance for members and staunchly promoted total abstinence from alcohol.
The Methodist Church was one of the mainstays of the temperance movement in the late nineteenth century and the influential Christian Women’s Temperance Union, which drew many members from the church, was at the forefront of the campaign for women’s suffrage. It appears likely therefore that many of the Thorndon petitioners were rallied to the suffrage cause through their Church membership.
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions