Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Isabella Clapperton was born on December 14th 1849 in Selkirk, Scotland – the daughter of William Clapperton, a slater & plasterer, & Margaret Brodie.
She emigrated to Victoria, Australia with her family in 1854 on the Admiral Boxer & she later came to Otago.
Isabella married John Hislop, a watchmaker & widower with 5 children in 1873 & they had a further 7 children, one who died in infancy.
When Isabella signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Maybank, North East Valley Dunedin.
John died in 1900 & Isabella died on October 18th 1936, they are buried in the family grave in the Southern Cemetery.
Isabella’s obituary said she was “a pioneer member of the W.C.T.U., Mrs Hislop joined the organisation half a century ago, and proved herself to be a capable and earnest speaker in the cause of temperance. In political and civic matters she took a keen interest, and was a staunch advocate of the Opoho tram extension”.
At the monthly meeting of the Dunedin Central branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union “feeling reference was made to the late Mrs John Hislop”. She “was an indefatigable worker in the temperance cause, an ardent advocate of women’s franchise, and in everything which made for good citizenship she took a firm stand. Members stood in silence as a tribute to her memory”.