Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Margaret Hamilton Muirhead was born on 20 March 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland – the daughter of James Muirhead, a blacksmith, and Janet French.
In 1857 the family emigrated for Otago on the “Strathallan” arriving in January 1858.
They settled in Dunedin where Margaret’s parents died in 1864 and 1866.
Margaret married Joseph Emmerson Peart, a bootmaker, in 1867 and they had eight children, two who died in infancy.
In 1887 the family home caught fire but was saved by the fire brigade. When Margaret signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Stuart St, Dunedin.
Her sister also signed the petition (See 175 Jessie Goudie)
They went to live in Southland in 1894 returning to Dunedin in 1896.
Joseph died at their son’s home in Southland in 1907 – he is buried in the Gore Cemetery.
In 1909 Margaret was back living in Stuart when her house, once again, caught fire. This time the house was completely destroyed.
Margaret died at her daughter’s home in Dunedin on 29 September 1922 – she is buried with her parents in the Southern Cemetery.
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
See 120 Amelia Peart (daughter)
