Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Isabella/Bella Bickerstaff was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 29 September 1868 – the eldest child of William Bickerstaff, a woollen weaver, and Sarah Sinclair.
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1874 on the Mairi Bhan.
In March 1882 Bella’s five younger sisters were charged with being neglected children. 'From the police evidence it appeared that the mother was of drunken habits, and was accustomed to leave the children for days together without means of subsistence. The neighbours were frequently obliged to supply them with food to prevent them from starving.'
A week later the charge was withdrawn as 'they were now properly looked after by their parents.'
Two months later Bella’s mother was charged with theft and sentenced to one month in prison.
Her father was also declared insolvent at this time and four of her younger sisters were sent to the Industrial School.
Her mother died about 1883 shortly after the birth of her last child.
Bella married John Joseph Gadsby, a carter, on 10 March 1885 in Dunedin and they had 12 children, four who died in infancy.
When Bella signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Grange St, Dunedin.
They moved to Kaitangata in South Otago in the late 1890s.
John died there in 1941 and Bella died on 4 October 1944, they are buried together in the Kaitangata Lawn Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
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/
Clutha District Council https://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/your-services
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions