Originally transcribed as 138 Mrs W Chalmers
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Janet Gray was born about 1841 in Fifeshire, Scotland.
She emigrated to Otago in 1869 on the William Davie. Later that year, on 29 October, Janet married William Chalmers, a blacksmith, in the Waihola Parish.
They had eight children and lived in Milburn where Janet signed the suffrage petition.
William died in 1906, they had recently moved to live in Oamaru to improve William’s health.
Janet died on 31 May 1935 at her daughter’s home in Gore, she is buried with William in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.
Her obituary said she 'was a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian Church – a pioneer member – and always took a keen interest in everything relating to the church and the progress of the district where she resided. Her bright and cheery disposition endeared her to all, and her services were in constant demand and as willingly given in any needy case.'
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/
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