Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Emily Mortimer was born in 1855 in Victoria, Australia – the daughter of John Mortimer and Sarah Ann Binge. (See 151 Sarah Ann Mortimer)
She arrived in New Zealand with her family in 1863 and they farmed near Milton in South Otago.
Emily married John Smith Chalmers, an engine driver, on 6 April 1876 in the Tokomairiro parish and they had two daughters and lived in Lawrence.
In 1879 John died when his train derailed and he was crushed by the engine.
Emily lived in Waitahuna and Milton before moving to Dunedin around 1890 - when she signed the suffrage petition she was living in Serpentine Avenue.
Emily later moved to North East Valley where she died on 27 March 1940 – she is buried with John and her parents in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au