Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Willimina Hunter was born about 1849 in Montrose, Forfarshire, Scotland – the daughter of Robert Hunter, a hand loom weaver, and Ann.
She married David Esplin on 11 February 1870 in Brechin and they had three children, one who died in infancy, before they emigrated to Otago in 1875 on the Auckland.
They had a further seven children in New Zealand and when Williamina signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Outram, West Taieri & David was working as a labourer and pound keeper.
They retired to South Dunedin in the 1900s where David died in 1931 and Williamina died on 29 December 1934, they are buried together in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Williamina’s obituary said 'many homes will mourn her loss, for she was a ready comforter in sickness and distress. For many years the deceased was a diligent worker in the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at Kensington'.
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
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
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