Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Previously transcribed as Morray Cree. Written as Marry Cree.
Mary McDonald was born about 1864 in Scotland.
She came to New Zealand in the late 1880s and she married Matthew Cree, a seaman, in 1890.
They had 5 children and when Mary signed the suffrage petition they were living in Lambeth Road, Dunedin.
In 1899 Matthew “secured the appointement as hulk-keeper on the Arawata” on Wellington harbour. He had made arrangements for the family to move to Wellington when he drowned while attempting to board the Arawata - his body was not found.
A few months later a “moonlight excursion to the heads” was held to raise money for the family - over £300 was collected.
One of Mary’s sons died in 1918 and another died in 1919 while fighting in WW1.
Mary died on July 6th 1932 at her home in Dunedin. She is buried in the family grave in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions