Maker: Niki Francis

Panel number: 334

Petition sheet number: 399

Person honouring: Maggie Lang

Relationship to maker: Great-great-aunt

Maggie McKenzie Lang was born in Waipu, Northland in November 1867. Her parents, Ann McGregor and William Maxwell Lang, were farmers of Langs beach near Waipu. Maggie grew up in the close, Gaelic-speaking, Presbyterian community established around Waipu by the Nova Scotian migrants. Other Waipu signatures on sheet 399 represent her cousins, aunts, and family friends.

With her siblings and cousins, she rode horses on her parents’ farm; she maintained a lifelong interest in horses and enjoyed dressage events.

In January 1900, when Maggie was 33, she married local farmer Harry Massey at Waipu. Her parents gifted the newlyweds 1,600 acres at Maranui, on Cullen Road, Waipu, where the couple’s first three children were born. In 1905, the family moved to Seaview Farm where Maggie gave birth to their two youngest children. 

In 1911, Maggie, Harry, and their five children moved to Kaipara Harbour on the west coast at Wairere. Her grandchildren’s memories illuminate her character. Maggie’s granddaughter and namesake Margaret Powell wrote: “Grandma was an amazing hostess and used to host garden parties of 50–80 local guests, huge for a small rural area. Everyone was well-dressed for the special occasion and wore wonderful hats. When neighbours had emergencies, she was always the one to help. A wonderful strong caring lady.“ 

Family stories tell of thoughtful, caring, empathetic woman with a sense of fun and occasion who enjoyed entertaining and offering hospitality to family and friends, and enjoyed nurturing her grandchildren.

Harry died unexpectedly in 1928 and Maggie spent many years as a widow. She lived at Wairere until her death on 8 November 1952. She was 84. She died an affluent woman and made generous provision for her adult children.

Panel materials: A black silk embroidered bag I purchased from the Mary Potter Hospice shop and deconstructed. To represent the other women on sheet 399 I used 46 beads from Vinnie’s Re-Sew. A paua shell heart I had had for many years represents my heartfelt thanks to Maggie and all the signatories on the petition for their willingness to support women’s suffrage, which generations of New Zealanders continue to benefit from. One of Maggie’s great-great nieces, Heather Jacobson, and her daughter Zara collected the three pipi shells from Langs beach (where Maggie grew up). Her great-niece Donna Lang-Finlayson sent me the Waipu tartan, representing Maggie’s family of Highland Scottish-Nova Scotian migrants to Waipu and region. I sewed two narrow strips top and bottom of the calico panel. Donna and the genealogy team at the Waipu Museum provided the photo of Maggie on horseback, which I printed onto calico along with her petition signature. The narrow grosgrain ribbon helped tidy some slightly bumpy seams! I was delighted to find backing fabric very similar to the Waipu tartan.