Makers: Soroptimist International of Westland

Panel number: 216

Petition sheet number: 258

Person honouring: J. T. Burrows

Relationship to makers: Unknown

Reverend James Thomas Burrows was born in May 1861. He became a clergyman in the Wesleyan Church. James was a circuit reporter and ordained into the ministry in 1892.

He married Isabella Ann Mason in 1893. She was born in 1865 to Isabella and David Mason.

James and Isabella moved around much of the South Island between 1888 and 1911 before settling in Hamilton in 1924.

Although James listed his address as Hokitika, he signed the suffrage petition when near Kaiapoi, just after another Burrows signature [family?]. He and Isabella were both enrolled to vote in the elections following suffrage being granted to women.

James died in March 1949 and was buried in Hamilton. Isabella joined him in 1950.

Originally, this was the only signature on the petition from Hokitika; however, by the end we had discovered more information that was of significance.

Panel materials: Existing old cotton sheeting, paint, cottons, organza, a spectacle cleaning cloth. We purchased some paint.