Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Mather was born on 8 January 1859 in Earlston, Berwickshire, Scotland – the daughter of William Mather, a ploughman, and Agnes Lauder.
She married John Ovens in 1879 and they emigrated to New Zealand, they had five children and settled in Dunedin.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Forbestown, Roslyn.
John died at their home in 1922 and Mary died at Upper Hutt on 17 March 1954 – they are buried together 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
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk