Also signed as 109 Mary MacGibbon
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Ward was born in 1860 in New Zealand – the daughter of Hugh Ward and Jane McFea.
She married John MacGibbon, a merchant, in 1878 and they had seven children.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in East Gore – her sister Ann also signed at East Gore. (See 103 A Ward)
In 1912 Mary and John, accompanied by two of their children, embarked on a holiday trip to America and England via Vancouver.
Mary became ill on the ship and she died from pneumonia at Winnipeg on 22 May.
Her obituary said she 'was an ardent worker in the Presbyterian Church and a keen temperance advocate. Her many deeds of charity are best known to the recipients. She went about doing good, and her demise will be regretted by a large circle of friends.'
John died in Gore in 1925 – he is buried in the family grave in the Gore Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
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