Margaret Carr

Biography contributed by Dr Nicola Francis

Margaret McKay was born at Waipū on 4 January 1866 to Flora Stewart (1843-1922) who arrived in New Zealand on the Spray in 1857 and Donald Duncan ‘Dinnie’ MACKAY (1825-1914) who arrived on the Gazelle via Highland Lass in 1853 as part of the Highland Scots-Nova Scotian migration to the Waipū area, Northland.

Margaret married William James CARR in 1892 and the following year, aged 27 and pregnant, she signed the Women’s Suffrage petition at Waipū. On 31 August 1893 Margaret gave birth to Margaret Jane Flora ‘Janie’ Carr. Sadly, Margaret died on 18 September 1893 and was buried at Waipū Cemetery on 19 September where she lies in an unmarked grave. Margaret’s parents Flora and Dinnie took Janie in and brought her up.

The story becomes more sad: Margaret’s daughter Janie married Henry Robert ‘Harry’ ARMITAGE on 1 November 1916, but died in Whangārei on 14 June 1918 of acute tuberculosis. Janie is buried in the Waipū Cemetery, possibly in her mother’s grave. Harry died of wounds at Rouen, France on 24 October 1918 and is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.

Sources

Waipū Museum, The Centre, Waipū, Tai Tokerau Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Papers Past, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand, Wellington.

Births, Deaths and Marriages Online. Te Tari Whenua Internal Affairs, New Zealand Government, Wellington.

Personal communications with Heather Lymburn, July 2020.