Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Justice was born on 23 April 1831 in Leuchars, Fifeshire, Scotland – the daughter of James Justice and Mary Grant.
She married George Dutch, a carpenter, on 1 January 1853 and they had three children before they emigrated to Otago, with members of Mary’s extended family, on the Lady Egida.
Two of their children died on board, 21-month-old Mary Ann of rubella and four-year-old James of pneumonia. A daughter, Mary Ann, was born on board ship six days before they arrived in Otago on 26 January 1861. Their eldest son George died on 14 February followed by baby Mary Ann just over a week later on 23 February.
They were to have a further six children after their arrival in New Zealand, two of who died in infancy. When Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Leith St, Dunedin.
She died at her home on 25 August 1910 and George died the following year. They are buried in the family grave 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
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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