Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Margaret Smith Donald was born on 30 December 1863 in Kincardineshire, Scotland – the daughter of Archibald Donald and Ann Scott.
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1874 on the “Invercargill” and they settled in Dunedin.
Margaret married Francis Welsh, a carpenter, on 24 May 1883 in Dunedin.
They had three children, one who died in infancy, and when Margaret signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Gisborne St, South Dunedin.
Francis died in 1898 – he is buried with their young son in the Southern Cemetery.
Margaret remarried in 1901 to William Cuttle, a furniture dealer and widower.
They had a daughter in 1904 and, in 1914, they took over the licence of the Arowhenua Hotel in Temuka.
William died there in 1915 – he is buried with his first wife in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.
Margaret took over the licence of the hotel and stayed there until, at least, 1920.
She died in Wellington on 23 May 1949 – she was cremated and her ashes were interred with her daughter in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.
Sources:
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
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/