Signed family name
Kenward
Signed given name
Jessie
Given address
Waikouaiti
Notes
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Janet (Jessie) Russell McLay was born about 1845 in Scotland, the daughter of Thomas John McLay and Margaret Russell.
She emigrated to New Zealand with her family in 1849 on the Mooltan. She married Frederick William Kenward on February 27th 1867 in Dunedin.
They had 10 children, one who died in infancy, and they lived in Waikouaiti where Jessie signed the suffrage petition.
Frederick died in 1890 and Jessie died at her daughter’s home at Seacliff on January 30th 1927. They are buried in the family grave in the St John’s Anglican Cemetery, Waikouaiti.
