Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Janet/Jessie Miller was born on January 25th 1848 in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, the daughter of Alexander Miller, a labourer, and Margaret Miller.
Jessie had a daughter in 1872 and a son with James Bryce, an engineer, in 1874. There has been no marriage record found.
Jessie, James and the children emigrated to Otago in 1875 on the Aldergrove. There were 20 deaths on the voyage, mostly from diarrhoea, which included both of Jessie’s children.
They settled in Palmerston where Jessie signed the suffrage petition. They had 10 more children, one who died in infancy.
James died at Palmerston in 1930 and Jessie died on August 27th 1933 at her son’s home at Clifton, near Palmerston.
They are buried together in the Palmerston Cemetery.
