Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Magdelene Jane Orchiston was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 30 October 1852 – the daughter of James Orchiston, a carrier’s porter, and Margaret Littlejohn.
The family sailed for Otago in 1862 on the Silistria and they settled in South Otago.
They lived in Balclutha and Magdalene attended Inch Clutha School.
She 'later conducted a private school in a room on the ground floor of the Newmarket Hotel in Balclutha. In 1873 she was appointed first mistress of the Balclutha School, and proved herself an enthusiastic teacher.' As she was not a qualified teacher, the following year she had to hand over her pupils to another teacher.
When Magdalene signed the suffrage petition she was living with her parents in Waikaia working as post mistress and registrar.
She died on 18 July 1937 in Dunedin and is buried with her parents in the Waikaia Cemetery.
Sources
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Southland District Council https://www.southlanddc.govt.nz/