Barbara L. Edie

Signed family name

Edie

Signed given name

Barbara L.

Given address

Tokomairiro

Sheet number

104

Town/Suburb

Tokomairiro

City/Region

Otago

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Barbara Laura Kerr was born on 12 December 1856 in Jedburgh, Roxburgshire, Scotland – the daughter of Abel Kerr, a farmer, and Mary Herbertson.

She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1858 on the Jura and they settled at Tokomairiro.

Barbara married John Edie, a surveyor & civil engineer, on 25 December 1878 at her home at Clifton Hill, near Milton.

They had eight children, two who died in infancy and when Barbara signed the suffrage petition they were living in Milton.

They also lived in Heriot and Lawrence where Barbara died on 20 April 1914 – her obituary said 'she was a woman of exemplary Christian principles and was much devoted to her family and home, while her cheerful and happy disposition, endeared her to all...with whom she came into contact.'

John re-married in 1921, he died in 1928 and is buried with Barbara in the Lawrence Cemetery.