Margaret Whiston

Surname:

Whiston

Given names:

Margaret

Given address:

Cargill Road

Sheet No: 66

Town/Suburb:

South Dunedin

City/Region:

Dunedin

Notes:

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

The first sign of Margaret McManus is when her daughter Margaretta Scarmutizes was born in 1864 in Hobart, Tasmania.

Margaret’s 'husband' was Stathe Scarmutizes, a miner from Greece.

Two years later their daughter Annetta was born, also in Hobart -the same year Stathe died in Victoria, Australia.

Margaret re-married on 18 April 1870 in Hobart to Joseph Whiston, a licenced victualler. Margaret and Joseph had two sons and their life appears to have been rather eventful.

In 1871 Margaret was charged with 'unlawfully wounding Bridget Sutcliffe' at their hotel the Lord Nelson. 'She had been in two or three times before, but the last time she went in Mrs Whiston ordered her out of the house and struck her several severe blows on the head with a lemonade bottle, and a sugar basin'.

Bridget had 'formerly lived with defendant’s husband as his wife' and had apparently used abusive language. Margaret was found guilty and given the option of a £5 fine or one month in jail - the fine was paid.

The following year Margaret was accused of theft and, in 1873, Joseph’s application for the renewal of the licence of their public house was declined.

Joseph died the following year and is buried in the Sandy Bay Cemetery.

Sometime in the 1880s Margaret came to New Zealand with her family and settled in Dunedin.

When she signed the suffrage petition she was living in Cargill Rd, South Dunedin where she had to let a 'furnished sitting and bedroom to respectable married couple'.

In 1904 a Margaret Whiston married Henry Thomson – her later life is unclear.