Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Margaret Wilson Trotter was born in 1871 in New Zealand – the daughter of John Trotter, a shepherd and Margaret Young Wilson, a school teacher. (See 87 M Trotter)
Her father died when she was a child and Margaret appears to have moved around the district with her mother’s teaching positions.
She signed the suffrage petition while living at Wangaloa near Kaitangata.
In 1894 her sister in law died and Margaret and her mother went to live with the family and help with the children.
Margaret died at her brother’s home on 18 June 1897 – 'she had been ailing for some time, and although in low health her death was somewhat unexpected.'
Margaret who 'had lately taken a trip to Timaru for the good of her health, returned about a month ago much worse instead of better.'
She is buried with her parents in the Palmerston Cemetery. Her obituary said she 'was widely and favourably known to a large circle of friends.'
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
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.
Community contributions