Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Elizabeth/Betsie Stuart was born on 9 November 1832 in Cromdale, Invernesshire, Scotland – the daughter of Robert Stuart, a farmer, and Jane Gillies.
Betsie married Donald Collie, a farmer, in New Zealand in 1867. They had five sons, three of whom died in infancy or childhood. After their marriage the couple settled at Fairfax, south of Dunedin, remaining there until 1892. That year they made a trip to the “home country” and settled in Dunedin on their return. Robert died there in 1898, and Betsie then lived with her son and family - dying in Invercargill on 27 September 1918. She is buried with Donald in the Riverton Cemetery.
Betsie’s obituary says “Mrs Collie retained to the end of her long life a very accurate memory and a keen intellect. At the age of 80 she re-read the long series of Scott’s Waverley novels. She possessed a charming personality, and all who were privileged to know her were the better and stronger for her friendship.”
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Southland District Council https://www.southlanddc.govt.nz
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions