Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Highet was born in 1868 in Green Island, near Dunedin – the daughter of William Highet, a carter, and Mary Cuddie.
She married John Webster, an iron worker in December 1890 and they lived in Green Island.
In March 1891 John attempted to take his life by cutting his throat with a razor. He recovered and was charged in court with attempted suicide.
He,
had been ill, and instead of taking a rest, he continued hard at work, the consequence being that, while in a depressed state, he committed the offence charged.
Shortly after this, on June 17th, John went to visit a friend at Burnside and never arrived.
A search was conducted but there was no sign of John and he was presumed to have drowned.
Mary’s daughter Daisy was born 5 months later.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition, she was still in Green Island.
John was declared dead in 1906 at which time Mary was working as a dressmaker.
She died on April 28th 1944 in Mornington and is buried in the Southern Cemetery.