Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Moir was born on 16 June 1871 in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland – the daughter of David Moir, a grocer, and Cecilia Young. (See 137 Cecilia Moir)
She emigrated to New Zealand with her family in the 1880s and they settled at Ratanui, south of Owaka where Mary signed the suffrage petition.
In 1907, a few months before her marriage, a presentation was made to Mary at the annual social at the Ratanui Presbyterian Church.
Mary was the church organist and Sunday School superintendent and she was given a 'sealskin writing case, fountain pen, and a number of volumes of fiction by well-known authors'.
The gift was 'the outward manifestation of the affection and goodwill of the people of Ratanui'.
Mary married William Price Byar, a farmer, at the Ratanui Church on 6 June 1907.
After the ceremony 'the party of friends drove away in splendid style to' Mary’s home 'where a royal 'spread' was in readiness' for the guests. After the festivities they, 'escorted by many of the younger folks, drove away to catch the afternoon train for Dunedin' for their honeymoon.
Mary and William had three children, one who died in infancy.
In the 1900s they sold their farm at Ratanui and moved to Little River on Banks Peninsula where William died in 1923.
Mary moved to Dunedin, she died on 21 March 1952 and is buried with William in the Bromley Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Christchurch City Council http://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com
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