Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary Cunningham was born in 1860 in New Zealand, the daughter of James Cunningham, a clerk, amd Catherine Mahon.
She married Edwin Lewis on April 12th 1881 in the Kaikorai parish and they had 3 children, 2 who died in infancy.
In 1885 they parted company, Edwin going to Southland to look for work and Mary staying with her mother in Dunedin. Mary received a letter from Edwin a week later but then heard nothing. He appears to have been living with his brothers in Invercargill at this time.
In 1891 Mary was engaged as housekeeper to Mr Colin McKenzie at Palmerston, where she signed the suffrage petition.
According to a later court case Colin McKenzie agreed to marry Mary, and she assumed this was acceptable as she had not heard from Edwin for 7 years. The marriage was repeatedly delayed and Mary’s wages were not paid regularly. In 1894 Colin went to visit family in South Otago, never returned and apparently went to Scotland.
Mary sued for breach of promise of marriage for which she was awarded £140 damages and costs.
She died in Dunedin Hospital on May 12th 1913 as the wife of John Kennedy. They may not have been legally married as no record can be found in New Zealand.
Mary is buried in the family grave in the Southern Cemetery.
