Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Janet Grindlay was born on 19 September 1830 in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire, Scotland – the daughter of Robert Grindlay, a wright, and Janet Gillies.
Her daughter Jessie was born in 1852 and they emigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1854 on the Birmingham.
Janet married James Cowan, a fellow traveller on the Birmingham, in Victoria later that year.
They had three children in Victoria before Janet and the children sailed for Otago in 1862 on the City of Hobart, James had presumably sailed earlier.
They settled at Glenore in South Otago and had a further two children, one who died in infancy.
When Janet signed the suffrage petition they were still living at Glenore.
In 1899 they moved to Gore and purchased the Railway Refreshment Rooms – James died in Gore in 1910.
After James’ death Janet moved to Bluff where she died on 22 June 1913, they are buried 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/
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au
Public Record Office Victoria https://prov.vic.gov.au
Gore District Council https://www.goredc.govt.nz/