Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Sarah Railton was born in 1871 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England – the daughter of George Railton, a shipwright, and Sarah Johnston. (See 65 Mrs Sarah Railton)
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1876 on the Invercargill and they settled in Dunedin.
When Sarah signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family in Reid St, South Dunedin working as a tailoress.
In October 1893 'a pleasing ceremony took place this afternoon at the New Zealand Clothing Factory, when Miss Sarah Railton was presented by her fellow-employés with a handsome tea set and teapot on the occasion of her marriage.'
She married Oscar Edward Corcoran Briggs, an ironmoulder, later that year - they had no children.
Oscar died in 1934 and Sarah died on 1 August 1964, they are buried together in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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