Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Barbara Martin Lumsden was born on 19 January 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – the daughter of John Lumsden, a bootmaker, and Agnes Mackie.
Barbara married Edward Rainsford, a farmer, on 27 October 1870 in the Church of St John the Baptist, Hobart.
They had a daughter in Hobart before they moved to New Zealand about 1872. They had four more children in New Zealand - living in Arrowtown until 1886, while Edward worked as a gold miner at Macetown, then moving to Dunedin where they lived in Osmond St, South Dunedin where Edward worked as a night watchman.
The family were active in the Cargill Rd Wesleyan Church. Their daughters played the piano and organ and Barbara helped to organise bazaars and flower shows.
Edward died in 1916 and Barbara died on 13 July 1940. They are buried together in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au
Libraries Tasmania https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au
