Maker: Fifi Colston

Panel number: 44

Petition Sheet Number: 34 

Person honouring: Janet Swinton 

Relationship to makers: None

Jennet/Janet Ritchie was born on 28 October 1842 in St Martins, Perthshire, Scotland – the daughter of James Ritchie, a stonemason, and Isabella Thomson.

Janet married David Swinton, a ship labourer, on 29 December 1865 in Kilspindie, Perthshire. They had six children in Scotland before they emigrated to Otago on the ‘Canterbury’ in 1880. Another daughter was born in 1882 after their arrival. The family settled at Bowen St, Musselburgh near Dunedin where they kept dairy cows. In 1888 Janet was fined one shilling, with costs, for “allowing a cow to wander on the Anderson Bay road”. The livestock and plant were sold in 1904. Janet’s daughter Margaret also signed Sheet 34 of the petition.

Janet died at her home at Bowen St on 20 May 1913 and David died in 1919. They are buried in the family grave in the Southern Cemetery.

Panel materials: Lace and calico from my own stocks, tartan from an op shop and gold thread from a deceased estate.