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Annie Barr
Description
TitleAnnie Barr
Alternative NameAnnie KeysSummaryA woman of Selwyn who signed the 1893 Suffrage PetitionDescription1892 Suffrage Petition - 451/257
1893 Suffrage petition - page 2
1893 Electoral Roll - no 1500First NameAnnie Last NameBarrDate of Birth1862Place of BirthChristchurch, Canterbury, New ZealandDate of Death25 October 1938Place of DeathLower Hutt, Wellington, New ZealandAge at Death76Parents or Next of KinJames Porteous Barr
Agnes Thomson
George Alfred KeysOther Biographical InformationAnnie Barr was born in 1862, in Canterbury, third child of James Porteous Barr and Agnes nee Thomson. Her parents had emigrated from Ayreshire, Scotland with their infant son John on board the "William Miles" leaving Bristol 6th May 1860, arriving in Lyttelton 21st August 1860. James farmed at Courtenay and later at 'Mountain View Farm', Annat until it was sold to the Wright family in 1892. Annie married George Alfred Keys on Feb 12th 1879. George was born in Wellington in 1849 and worked in the Post Office as a telegraphist. In 1882 George was one of those asking for a side school at Annat and he was later on the Malvern School Committee. By 1883 there were 72 children between the age of five and fourteen and George chaired the meeting asking for a school and was later elected Chairman of the Annat School Committee. The family also provided a paddock for the school treat day. When the Annat Band of Hope was established he was on the committee and the family were members. Sadly in 1890 tragedy struck the family when two of their children; Helen Lucy aged eighteen months and Charles Lleonard aged three years, died in the same week of Diptheria. As in the days before antibiotics epidemics were frequent and Annat school had to be closed to prevent further deaths.
Annie signed the 1892 Suffrage petition on page 451/257 and then the 1893 Suffrage Petition on page 2. She was enrolled to vote in the 1893 Election, on the roll as number 1500. After working for the post office in Sheffield for over twenty one years George was moved to Otago in October of 1899. A farewell function was held and during the evening "Mr John Jebson, ..., who had known Mr Keys over twenty years, presented Mr and Mrs Keys, on behalf of the residents, with a well-lined purse of sovereigns, expressing regret that he was about to be removed from Sheffield. Mr A. McNae, on behalf of the Annat Tennis Club and other tennis players of the district, then presented Mrs Keys with a very handsome dressing case, expressing regret that the club was losing one of its most ardent supporters, and wishing her every happiness in her new home, and many years to enjoy the use of the gift." They eventually returned to Canterbury, living in Riccarton. George died in 1934 was buried, after a private cemetery, in Bromley Cemetery. Annie died 25 October 1938 at the residence of her daughter, Mrs Marwick in Lower Hutt and was returned to Christchurch to be interred beside George in Bromley cemetery.
NZBDM:Births - 1862/13046 Barr, Annie - Agnes and James
Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9250, 3 November 1890, Page 4
Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10490, 31 October 1899, Page 5
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156707403/annie-keys
Alternative NameAnnie KeysSummaryA woman of Selwyn who signed the 1893 Suffrage PetitionDescription1892 Suffrage Petition - 451/2571893 Suffrage petition - page 2
1893 Electoral Roll - no 1500
First NameAnnie Last NameBarrDate of Birth1862Place of BirthChristchurch, Canterbury, New ZealandDate of Death25 October 1938Place of DeathLower Hutt, Wellington, New ZealandAge at Death76Parents or Next of KinJames Porteous BarrAgnes Thomson
George Alfred Keys
Other Biographical InformationAnnie Barr was born in 1862, in Canterbury, third child of James Porteous Barr and Agnes nee Thomson. Her parents had emigrated from Ayreshire, Scotland with their infant son John on board the "William Miles" leaving Bristol 6th May 1860, arriving in Lyttelton 21st August 1860. James farmed at Courtenay and later at 'Mountain View Farm', Annat until it was sold to the Wright family in 1892. Annie married George Alfred Keys on Feb 12th 1879. George was born in Wellington in 1849 and worked in the Post Office as a telegraphist. In 1882 George was one of those asking for a side school at Annat and he was later on the Malvern School Committee. By 1883 there were 72 children between the age of five and fourteen and George chaired the meeting asking for a school and was later elected Chairman of the Annat School Committee. The family also provided a paddock for the school treat day. When the Annat Band of Hope was established he was on the committee and the family were members. Sadly in 1890 tragedy struck the family when two of their children; Helen Lucy aged eighteen months and Charles Lleonard aged three years, died in the same week of Diptheria. As in the days before antibiotics epidemics were frequent and Annat school had to be closed to prevent further deaths. Annie signed the 1892 Suffrage petition on page 451/257 and then the 1893 Suffrage Petition on page 2. She was enrolled to vote in the 1893 Election, on the roll as number 1500. After working for the post office in Sheffield for over twenty one years George was moved to Otago in October of 1899. A farewell function was held and during the evening "Mr John Jebson, ..., who had known Mr Keys over twenty years, presented Mr and Mrs Keys, on behalf of the residents, with a well-lined purse of sovereigns, expressing regret that he was about to be removed from Sheffield. Mr A. McNae, on behalf of the Annat Tennis Club and other tennis players of the district, then presented Mrs Keys with a very handsome dressing case, expressing regret that the club was losing one of its most ardent supporters, and wishing her every happiness in her new home, and many years to enjoy the use of the gift." They eventually returned to Canterbury, living in Riccarton. George died in 1934 was buried, after a private cemetery, in Bromley Cemetery. Annie died 25 October 1938 at the residence of her daughter, Mrs Marwick in Lower Hutt and was returned to Christchurch to be interred beside George in Bromley cemetery.
NZBDM:Births - 1862/13046 Barr, Annie - Agnes and James
Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9250, 3 November 1890, Page 4
Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10490, 31 October 1899, Page 5
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156707403/annie-keys
Connections
Subject (Keywords)Suffrage, AnnatPlaceAnnat
PlaceAnnatMilitary Service
Memorial or CemeteryBromley Cemetery, Christchurch
Attribution
Annie Barr. Selwyn Stories, accessed 01/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5679
