Mrs McAra

Surname:

McAra

Given names:

Mrs

Given address:

Pine Hill

Sheet No: 149

Town/Suburb:

North Dunedin

City/Region:

Dunedin

Notes:

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Margaret Dow was born on 7 April 1839 in Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland – the daughter of John Dow, an agricultural labourer, and Janet Robin.

She emigrated to Otago in 1859 on the Alpine accompanied by her sister Janet (See 143 Jessie Anderson), her brother David and his wife and three children.

Margaret married John McAra, a farmer, on 6 January 1860 in Dunedin and they had 10 children, two who appear to have died in infancy.

When Margaret signed the suffrage petition they were living in Pine Hill, Dunedin.

Margaret died at her home on 31 August 1898 and John died at their daughter’s home in 1915, they are buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery.