Biography contributed by Shirley Arabin.
Johanna Mitchell Duff Grubb (1857–1925) was born in Leith, Scotland, one of three sisters who emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in the nineteenth century. She was a daughter of David Duff, a sawyer and Janet Doig and in Forfar, Scotland married James Brown Grubb a cooper from Ansthruther in Fife. [i] They had two daughters Annie Doig Grubb and Isabella Brown Grubb and the family arrived in Lyttleton in December, 1890 on the RMS Tainui. [ii] A son James Brown Grubb jnr was born in Christchurch in 1894.[iii]
After first living at Papakaio near Oamaru where Johanna’s sister Jessie Doig lived the Grubb family moved to Christchurch where James trained as a masseur, a profession he followed for the rest of his life. Both Johanna and James are buried in the Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch.
Annie Grubb married William Houston, Isabella married Albert Gabites, and James B. Grubb jnr. married Jessica Rice.[iv]
[i] NZ Death Certificate Johanna Grubb
[ii] Star, 18 December 1890
[iii] NZ Birth Certificate James B Grubb
[iv] NZSG Marriage CD
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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