Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Previously transcribed as S. Alderdice.
Isabella Robertson was born about 1846 in Scotland.
She married John Annan on January 20th 1868 in the Waikouaiti parish. They had 4 children, one who died in infancy.
In November 1874 John was “killed by a fall of earth”. A concert and ball was held on New Year’s Eve in the Palmerston Town Hall which raised £30 to help the family.
Isabella married again in Palmerston on August 1st 1878 to William Alderdice, a coal merchant.
They had 2 children, one who died in infancy. When Isabella signed the suffrage petition they were living in Palmerston.
In 1894 William obtained the licence of the Golden Fleece Hotel in Waikouaiti. The following year they were living in Dunedin and William was, once again, a coal dealer.
In 1899 they moved to Clyde and bought the Dunstan Hotel. The following year it was rebuilt as a 27 roomed stone building.
They tried to sell in 1902 but were not successful, so they leased the hotel and “took a trip home”, settling in Dunedin when they returned.
The hotel was finally sold in 1910 – they later move to Auckland to live near their daughter.
Isabella died at her home at Herne Bay on March 27th 1925 and William died a few months later in July. They are buried together in the Purewa Cemetery.
Sources
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