Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Ann Hopkins was born about 1825 in London, England.
She married George Harrington, a cow keeper, in St Pancras in 1850. They had nine children, one who died in infancy, before George and their two eldest sons emigrated to New Zealand about 1870.
Mary followed with their remaining five children in 1875 on the Margaret Galbraith.
George worked as a dairyman - in 1887 he sued his eldest son with failing to contribute to his support as he was a 'destitute person', could not work and had no property or money.
The order was denied as their son had nothing to spare.
George died in 1889 and is buried in the Northern Cemetery.
When Mary signed the suffrage petition she was living in St Clair, Dunedin – she died on 4 May 1896 at Parkside, Caversham and is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
Sources
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
