Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Maria Ann Cursey was born in Glenarchy, Tasmania on April 29th 1860, the daughter of Daniel Cursey, a mariner, and Sarah Eyles.
She came to Otago with her family in the 1870s. She married William King (also known as William King Bennett), a wheelwright, in 1880. They had nine children.
When Maria signed the suffrage petition they were living in Arthur St, Mornington, Dunedin.
William died at their home in 1929 and Maria died, also at home, on August 24th 1941.
Her obituary said “she was of a kindly disposition, and was much loved and esteemed by her family and by all who knew her”.
Sources
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