Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Jane Stott was born on 13 April 1856 in Drummore, Wigtownshire, Scotland – the daughter of John Stott, a ploughman, and Jane Dorran.
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1860 on the Gala and 'after a short stay there, she travelled by a coastal sailing boat to Invercargill'.
She married James Beattie in 1874 and 'made the journey to Gore on horseback'.
They had 10 children, two died in infancy and one in childhood.
The family lived at 'Bankshill' in Gore where Jane signed the suffrage petition and James worked on the construction of the Gore railway bridge, then as a contractor.
They celebrated both their golden and diamond wedding anniversaries.
James died in 1937 and Jane died on 6 September 1944 – they are buried together in the Gore Cemetery.
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
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/