Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Ann Priestnall was born about 1828 in Stockport, Cheshire – the daughter of John Priestnall, a hairdresser, and Sarah Hawthorne.
She married stone mason, Aaron Firth, in Manchester on 18 May 1856.
Shortly after their marriage they emigrated to New Zealand where they had six children.
They lived in Wellington and Nelson before moving to the West Coast in the 1860s and when Ann signed the suffrage petition they were living in Cobden.
Ann died at her home in Cobden on 6 April 1894 and Aaron died in 1897 – they are buried together in the Karoro Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/