Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Thomas McCallum Gillies was born in Glasgow in 1864 – the son of Solomon Gillies, an engine turner, and Janet Lawson.
He emigrated to Otago with his family in 1879 on the Auckland and they settled in Dunedin.
Thomas married Octavia Yulu Burgess, a fellow passenger on the Auckland, on 24 September 1890 in Dunedin.
They had five children and when Thomas signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Frederick Street and he was working as an engineer.
Thomas died at his home on 25 August 1929 and Octavia died in 1957 – they are buried together in the Northern Cemetery.
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/