Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Margaretta Balwin Lane was born about 1834 in Helston, Cornwall – the daughter of Charles Lane, a watchmaker, and Louisa Puckey.
She emigrated to Otago in 1861 on the Chile and she married Josiah Boyer Torbock, a ship’s captain, on 12 May 1864 in Dunedin.
They had three children, two who died in infancy, before they appear to have parted company.
Margaretta re-married in 1871 to David Simpson, a cabinetmaker.
They had five children, two who died in infancy, and when she signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Wain St, South Dunedin.
They retired to Oamaru where Margaretta died at her daughter’s home on 25 September 1911 and David died in 1917 – they are buried together in the Old Oamaru Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/