Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley:
Isabella Barr was born in about 1832 in Scotland. She married James Newton on 8 January 1854 in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
In August of that year they departed Liverpool on the Dirigo travelling to Port Adelaide, South Australia. Their son Robert was born on board. They settled in Victoria where they had a further three children, two dying in infancy.
About 1861 they arrived in New Zealand and had another five children, one dying in infancy.
James worked quarrying stone and, in December 1871, he died when he was crushed by falling rocks.
Four years later Isabella’s eldest son also died at work when he was hit by a piece of wood that had caught in the fly wheel of an engine.
Isabella died on 23 August 1907. She is buried with her husband and son in the Southern Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au
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
Family History SA http://www.familyhistorysa.org
The Ships List http://www.theshipslist.com