Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Magdalene Liddle was born about 1834 in East Calder, Midlothian, Scotland – the daughter of John Liddle, a sawyer, and Ann.
She married George Alexander on 1 December 1854 and they had three daughters before they emigrated to Otago in 1860 on the Pladda – their daughter Margaret died five days after their arrival. They settled in Dunedin and had a further six children.
In 1863 they lost two of their young daughters to diphtheria within two weeks.
George died at their home in 1890 and when Magdalene signed the suffrage petition she was living in Harbour Terrace.
Magdalene died at her home on 18 December 1920 – she is buried with George 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
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz