Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Rachel Sutherland was born in 1868 in South Otago, New Zealand – the daughter of John Sutherland, a farmer, and Agnes Tinnock.
Rachel’s mother died in 1877 and when she signed the suffrage petition Rachel was living in Castle St, Dunedin working as a tailoress.
Her grandmother (See 49 Mrs Tinnock) and Aunt (See 49 Mrs Ross) were also living in Castle St at this time.
In 1903 Rachel was living in Wellington when she featured in an article in the New Zealand Times regarding an arbitration court case brought by the tailoresses’ union against Abraham Levy, an employer.
She married John William McNally in 1907, they had no children. Her husband died the following year following a fight, he is buried in the Karori Cemetery.
Rachel married William Burne, a farmer and widower with six children, in 1915 - they lived at Rongotea in the Manawatu.
Rachel died on 9 June 1939 and William died in 1953, they are buried in the family grave in the Rongotea Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Wellington City Council https://wellington.govt.nz
Manawatu District Council https://www.mdc.govt.nz/Services
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