Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Elizabeth Harper was born about 1865 in Shanghai, China – the daughter of William Harper, a sailor, and Elizabeth Marpeth. (See 129 Mrs Harper)
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1875 on the Gareloch and they settled in Dunedin.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family at The Glen in Mornington.
She married bookbinder Frederick William Esquilant on 21 April 1898 and they had three sons.
Mary died at her home on 19 September 1930 and Frederick died in 1942 – they are buried in the family grave in the Andersons Bay 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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/