Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Margaret Fulton was born about 1848 in County Kildare, Ireland – the eldest daughter of John Fulton.
She married George Gay, a master mariner, on 30 July 1863 in Geelong, Victoria.
They moved to New Zealand shortly after their marriage and had six children, one who died in infancy.
George was the part owner and Captain of the Kate Brain a brigantine which sailed between Dunedin and Auckland.
In April 1877 the ship left Dunedin for Timaru with Margaret and their youngest child on board – they disembarked at Timaru.
The ship left two days later with a load of grain for Auckland and was never seen again. It was assumed to be wrecked in a storm off Palliser Bay, south-east of Wellington.
The ship was underinsured at the time but the insurance company gave Margaret an extra £60 as a gratuity.
Margaret & the children lived in Castle St, Dunedin and in September 1877 Margaret was advertising 'board and residence for respectable gentlemen'.
She remained in Castle St where she was living when she signed the suffrage petition and where she died on 11 March 1908.
She is buried in the Southern 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
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/
Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au