Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Isabella McLeod was born on 6 July 1836 in Abbey, Renfrewshire, Scotland – the daughter of William McLeod, a soap & candle manufacturer, & Margaret Shearer. (See 85 Margaret McLeod)
She sailed from Glasgow in December 1863 on the Grasmere with her family. The ship hit a rock shortly after sailing & the passengers were rescued by coastguard boats, losing most of their belongings. They were re-shipped on the “Paria” in January 1864.
They settled in Invercargill before moving to Dunedin in the mid 1870’s.
Isabella did not marry - when she signed the suffrage petition she was living with her mother in Knotts Cottage in Forth Street.
Isabella died on 14 November 1901 – she is buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery.
Sources:
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz