Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Aitkenhead Paterson was born on 4 April 1855 in Edinburgh, Scotland – the daughter of James Paterson, a baker, and Sophia Aitkenhead. (See 128 Sophia Paterson)
Mary emigrated to Otago with her family in 1858 on the Jura – they lived in Dunedin until the mid 1860s when they shifted to Port Molyneux.
Mary signed the suffrage petition at the family home 'Pleasance' in Port Molyneux, she did not marry.
Mary contributed to the local flower shows and, during the First World War she supported the Women’s Patriotic and Red Cross Societies.
She died on 22 August 1931 and is buried in the family grave in the Port Molyneux Cemetery.
Sources
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
NZ Yesteryears http://www.yesteryears.co.nz
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/