Mary Robertson

Biography and image contributed by Gillian Knox

Mary Robertson was born in Walls, Shetland Islands the only daughter of John Scott Twatt & Ann Jean Slater of Walls, she had five brothers.  She sailed from Plymouth 17 Aug 1874 on Ocean Mail arriving in Nelson 8/11/1874, a spinster travelling alone something unheard of in those days.  After she arrived it is not known how she travelled to Dunedin. On 4th February1876 she married Magnus Robertson, variously a labourer, a ships hand and contractor, in South Dunedin Methodist Church.  Magnus also came from the Shetland Islands and lived in Kellister not far from Walls, it is believed that they knew each other before travelling to New Zealand as those two places are not too far apart.  Magnus had come to Dunedin with his family on the Invercargill in October 1874.  Mary & Magnus lived in various addresses in Dunedin; in George St, a farm in the Leith Valley near Pigeon Saddle, District Road (now Cnr Fulton & Islay St) where they lived for about 15years before moving to Melbourne St.

Mary & Magnus did not have any children of their own but raised a girl they named Mary Robertson who became my Grandmother.

Mary died on 17 Nov 1922 and is buried in the Anderson Bay cemetery.

By Gillian Knox(McGregor) granddaughter of Mary Hunt (Robertson).

Sources

Family Records

Shetland Islands Family History Society https://www.shetland-fhs.org.uk/

1893 Suffrage Petition 

Mary Robertson