Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Ann Harrington was born in 1855 in London, England – the daughter of George Harrington, a cow keeper, and Mary Ann Hopkins. (See 66 Mrs Harrington)
She emigrated to Otago with her mother and siblings in 1875 on the Margaret Galbriath.
Mary married Alexander Findlater, a lumper at the wharf, in 1877 and they had 10 children, one who died in infancy.
They appear to have had a turbulent marriage – in 1879 Alexander was in court charged with failing to support his family. In 1887 Alexander was charged with assaulting Mary 'she had a protection order from the court but still lived with the defendant. They had five children. The defendant, who appeared in court much the worse for drink, repeatedly interrupted the proceedings, and had to be cautioned.'
The domestic troubles continued – in 1890 he was again charged with failing to provide his family with support.
Four of the children were charged with being destitute in 1891, 'their mother had left them before Christmas' and their father had 'taken to drink' since then. The house was 'in a filthy state' with only one bed in it, the children were placed in the Benevolent Institution.
Mary Ann had returned to the family by 1893 when she applied for a prohibition order against Alexander, it was granted for one year. When she signed the suffrage petition Mary was living in Macandrew Rd, South Dunedin.
In 1902 she applied for a separation order which was granted. The grounds of the application were that 'the defendant had become a habitual drunkard and ill-treated his wife, knocked her about and beat her and used abominable language to the family, and for many years past had failed to contribute to their support'. Mary 'had had to go out washing to support the family, and was a hard-working, respectable woman.'
Alexander died in 1925, he is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
Mary died on 31 March 1943, she was cremated and her ashes were scattered.
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
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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