S. McGrath

Signed family name

McGrath

Signed given name

Given address

Regent Street

Sheet number

Town/Suburb

South Dunedin

City/Region

Dunedin

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Sarah Ann Cosgrove was born about 1829, probably in Ireland.

She emigrated to Victoria, Australia where she married Michael McGrath in 1852. They had at least three children in Victoria – two of these children died in infancy.

In the mid 1860’s the family sailed for Otago and settled in Dunedin - they had a further four children.

In 1888 three of Sarah’s sons were “charged with failing to contribute towards the support of their mother”. Sarah said she was destitute as Michael had gone to Victoria to be cured of rheumatism. The following year Michael died when he was run over by a dray while working at the wharf.

Although Sarah signed the suffrage petition in Regent Street, at the time she was living in Bradshaw Street, possibly with her daughter Mary (See 34 M Hannagan) working as a monthly nurse.

In 1894 and in 1897 her two of her sons were charged with disobeying the maintenance order.

Sarah died in Dunedin on 13 January 1912 – she is buried with Michael in the Southern Cemetery.