Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Constance Dent Birley was born in 1868 in Glenorchy, at the head of Lake Wakatipu – the daughter of Joseph Birley, a hotel keeper, and Sarah Ann Hartley.
She married William John Davidson, a sheep farmer and roadman, on 12 December 1887 and they had five children, one who died in childhood.
The family lived near Glenorchy where Constance signed the suffrage petition.
On 18 November 1907 Constance died when she was thrown from a buggy and hit her head. Her young daughter who was with her was unhurt.
She is buried in the Glenorchy Cemetery. Her obituary said she 'was of a cheerful temperament, and was much beloved and respected by everyone'.
William re-married - he died in 1924 and is buried in the Queenstown Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Queenstown Lakes District Council http://cemeteries.qldc.govt.nz/
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
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