Jane Davidson (Senr)

Signed family name

Davidson (Senr)

Signed given name

Jane

Given address

Queenstown

Sheet number

107

Town/Suburb

Queenstown

City/Region

Otago

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Jane McCosh was born about 1837 in Belfast, Ireland.

She emigrated to Victoria, Australia in the late 1850s and married Robert Davidson in 1860.

They had two sons and 'for the next four years she, with her husband, experienced the vicissitudes of life in the early Victorian diggings.'

Robert sailed for Otago in 1863 attracted by the Central Otago gold rush. He returned for his family later that year and they sailed for Otago in 1864 on the City of Hobart.

Jane and the children stayed in Dunedin while Robert went to the diggings.

They had a further three children in Otago, the first, Robert died in 1865, aged eight months and is buried in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.

After this Robert moved to Skippers and the family followed shortly after. This involved a journey from Dunedin to Kingston in a waggon then a boat trip to Queenstown. They then had to 'undertake the still more hazardous journey to Skippers' by pack horse. Jane’s 'two infant sons were packed in gin boxes over the horse’s back' while she walked alongside.

After eight years at Skippers the family moved to Queenstown where Jane signed the suffrage petition.

Robert died in 1911 and Jane died on 19 June 1924, they are buried together in the Queenstown Cemetery.

Jane’s obituary said she 'always took a warm interest in church work and was a tower of strength in organisations connected with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in the early days. To know the late Mrs Davidson was to esteem and respect her'.