Isabella McGregor (1816 - 1907)

Born 7 Oct 1816 in Uvie, Laggan, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Alexander McGregor — married 11 Jan 1849 in Auchmore, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Died 15 Dec 1907 at age 91 in Matarawa Valley, New Zealand

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Biography

Isabella McGregor was born on 7 October 1816 at Uvie and her mother died when she was fifteen and she became the lady of the house and known in the family as The Belle of Auchmore. She married a distant cousin Alex McGregor of Inchnadamph, Assynt, on 11 January 1849 at Auchmore. They emigrated to New Zealand on 25 September 1850 on the Castle Eden, reaching Port Cooper (now known as Lyttelton) five months later. They then took a coastal vessel to Whanganui where he took up land. Much of the story of the trip and their life in New Zealand appears in the McGregor family reunion booklet of 1983 in New Zealand as follows; Bad weather delayed their disembarkation for several days and even then the voyage was not over. The immiigration barracks were in a very dirty condition and Isabella, who was a particular housekeeper, flatly refused to stay there. Alexander aranged onward passage on a small coastal vessel the Katherine Johnson a 32 foot cutter. The passage took a fortnight, with two storms putting them backtwice to Kapiti Island and tossing for six hours outside the Whananui bar awaiting the tide. Isabella was helplessly seasick. [Andrew Honeyfield quoted by Athol McDonald] On the landing stood another McGregor, one of the earliest Whanganui settlers, skipper Jock McGregor. He was short and black haired and his family were later known as the Black McGregors. As the coastal ship tied up his eye was caught by the tall, red-haired Scot wearing his own McGregor plaid, and greetings were exchanged in the Gaelic tongue. Hospitality was immediately extended to the exhausted McGregors, and Jock Mcgregor wrapped his own plaid around Isabella,and carried her home to his wife, while Alexander followed, carrying Ann aged fourteen months. They felt at home with such warm hospitality, solid ground underfoot and a clean house. But Whanganui was no dream town. It was a small village in 1851 and much of it was swamp. There was much unrest amongst the Maori and land was not easy to buy. Alexander bought a cottage and it was there that their first son was born in April. They bought land in the Matarawa Valley, six miles away although it was the scene of a recent massacre. They made bricks and built a house with a thatch roof and called their home “Auchmore” after Isabella’s home in Scotland. Isabella made all the clothing for their nine children. Isabella died 15 December 1907 at Matarawa NZ aged 91. [MI]

Sources

• McGregor family reunion booklet of 1983 in New Zealand. Andrew Honeyfield quoted by Athol McDonald. Monumental Inscription at Matarawa Cemetery. Andrew Honeyfield research.