Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Mary/May Kettle was born about 1841 in Forgandenny, Perthshire, Scotland – the daughter of James Kettle, a shoemaker, and Margaret Crow.
She married carpenter, Archibald Morrison on 29 August 1862 and shortly after their marriage the couple emigrated to Otago.
They had a son in July 1863 who died shortly after birth – Archibald died three months later in October – they are buried together in the West Taieri Cemetery.
May remarried on 27 September 1866 to Andrew Robertson, a widower with two children.
They lived for a time in Waihola before moving to Dunedin.
When May signed the suffrage petition they were living in Mechanic St, St Johns Wood, in North East Valley.
May died at her home on 7 May 1915 and Andrew died in 1919 – they are buried together in the Northern 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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
