Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary was born about 1826 in Brechin, Forfarshire, Scotland – the daughter of Charles Cuthbert, a mason, and Mary Carnegie.
She had a son, David Esplin, in 1850. (David was the husband of Williamina Hunter – See 77 Willimina Esplin)
In 1861 Mary was working as a dressmaker & she had had a further two sons. She was living with her sister Ann and Ann’s two children.
One of her sons died the following year and her eldest son David emigrated to Otago with his family in 1875.
Mary followed David - arriving on the Oamaru in 1879.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition she was living in Outram, West Taieri near to David & his family.
She died at Drummond in Southland on 14 May 1905 as Mary Esplin – her place of burial is unknown.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk