Left to right: Isabella Brownlee, Jessie Brownlee and Margaret Brownlee

Daughters of William Ross Brownlee from Carluke sawmill descent. Left to right: Isabella Inglis Brownlee born 1851 in New Orleans and married William Hadfield Smith in Havelock. She died in 1881. She had two boys and a girl; Jessie Brownlee born 1861 in Carluke and died in 1950 in Wellington, New Zealand. She never married, but was 'sweet' on George Rutherford, brother of Ernest Rutherford. George reputedly asked her to marry him but her father wanted her to be a companion to him . . . and she obeyed. Her father ended up remarrying and Jessie remained a spinster; and Margaret Ross Brownlee born 1857 in New Orleans and died in 1900 in New Zealand. She married Rev. George Stowell and had one daughter who never married. The two photos of Isabella and Margaret were probably taken on a trip back to Scotland in the mid 1870s. Claire Brownlee Smith holds notes from two letters written by William Ross Brownlee, where he mentions taking the girls over to Nelson to get on a boat back to Scotland. This was the furthest he had been away from the house and mill for 10 years.
See also the Low Mill, Carluke
Photograph supplied courtesy of Nyle James of Blenheim in New Zealand.
gemwood@xtra.co.nz

Genealogical information supplied by Claire Brownlee Smith in Melbourne, Australia. clairebsmith@hotmail.com