Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Catherine Dickson was born in Scotland about 1838 – the daughter of James Dickson.
Catherine married David Kirk, an expressman, on 16 March 1864 in Knox Church, Dunedin. They had four children.
In March 1887 David committed suicide at their home in North King St. He had been drinking excessively and had threatened suicide several times. One afternoon Catherine found her husband hanging in the stable behind their house.
The family later moved to Cumberland St where Catherine and her daughters Maggie, Lily and Kate signed the suffrage petition. Catherine moved to Wellington with her daughters when they married.
Catherine died on 27 May 1921 at Seatoun, Wellington. She is buried in the Karori Cemetery with her daughter and son-in-law.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Wellington City Council https://wellington.govt.nz/services
