Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Jane Williden was born in Bermondsey, Surrey, England in 1867 – the daughter of George Sidney Williden, a slater, & Annie Phillips.
Mary’s father had, for an unknown reason, changed his name from Kent to Williden before his marriage - Mary’s birth was registered as Kent.
She emigrated to Otago with her mother & siblings in 1875 on the Wild Deer- her father appears to have gone earlier.
They settled in Dunedin & when Mary signed the suffrage petition they were living in St Andrew Street.
Mary married Joseph Sadler Gill, a mariner, on February 10th 1898 in Christchurch & they had one son.
They lived in Lyttleton before moving to Westport in 1911.
Joseph served in WW1 rising to the rank of Major.
In the 1920’s they moved to Wellington where Mary died on March 10th 1950, she was cremated at the Karori Cemetery.
Joseph died the following year in Auckland, he was cremated & his ashes interred in the Waikumete Cemetery.