Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Ann Porter was born about 1852 in Preston, Lancashire.
She married George Broadbent, an upholsterer, in 1874 in Preston and they had a son before they emigrated to Otago in 1879 arriving on Christmas Day.
They settled in Dunedin where they had a further six children and when Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Gisborne St, South Dunedin.
George and Mary were members of the Salvation Army and George was an open air preacher.
For some years they gave themselves 'heartily to the work of the Army in rescue and Gospel effort'.
George died in 1921 – he is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
After George’s death Mary moved to Wellington and to Auckland before settling in Blenheim.
'Shortly before her death, Mrs Broadbent travelled for the first time by aeroplane'.
Mary died at her daughter’s home in Blenheim on 30 August 1938 – she is buried in the Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.
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
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/