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  • 01.09 Elspeth Fraser Ayson (Low) 1847 - 1941

01.09 Elspeth Fraser Ayson (Low) 1847 - 1941

Elspeth, third daughter of Peter Ayson, of Corydon, was only six years of age when she left Glenshee with her parents to come to New Zealand, but she had good recall in later years of the journey out and the early period at Corydon.
 
After leaving the Warepa School, and espe­cially after her sister Ann had married, she was her mother's main helper in the domes­tic work at home until she married John Low and went to live in Balclutha.
 
John Low was born at West Linton in Scotland on 15 April 1845.   He came to Otago in the ship "Nelson" which arrived in 1862.   With his father, John Low, and his two brothers he worked at his trade as a saddler in Dunedin for some time and was kept very busy supplying the needs of the early settlers and those engaged in the new gold diggings.
 
Eventually the family decided to establish their business nearer to the diggings at Lawrence.   In 1865 they established a branch of their business in Balclutha.   In 1879 John Low Jnr took over this branch on his own ac­count and carried it on successfully for 53 years.   The first shop was situated where the Hotel Clutha now stands but later a larger shop was occupied on the corner of Clyde and Elizabeth Streets.
 
Elspeth had a retentive memory and was looked upon as an authority on the history of the development of the Clutha district.   She had seen Balclutha grow from the time that the McNeil's (John McNeil was her brother-in­ law) built the first house on the flat near the river until it became a thriving town serving the needs of a prosperous district.
 
She was a willing helper in many organisations that were working for the welfare of the town.
 
After the death of her husband the saddlery business was taken over by her son, Mark, and she bought a home in John Street where she lived until her death in 1941 at the age of 94.
 
She was the last surviving member of the fa­mily of Peter and Douglas.
 
Elspeth and John are buried at Balclutha . They had three sons and four daughters.
 
The Children of Elspeth and John Low.
 
George Low
Douglas Lamond Low
Marcus John Low
Margaret Cowan Low
Eunice Winifred Low
Peter Ayson Low
Annie Enid Low
Ormond Grigor Low
 
Acknowledgement:
 
The Ayson Story. Glenshee to Otago 1853 - 2000
 Published Clan Ayson Of New Zealand Society
 

Grave Restoration.

Elspeth familyElspeth and John's grave was retored by the family and a plaque unveiling was held.  This was initiated by Di Buchan (great-grand-daughter of Elspeth (nee Ayson) and John Low with donations from the Low descendants. 
Add photo before and after.

To commemorate the occasion Di published the book 'Triumphs, Tribulations & Tragedies' the story of the Low family who provided saddlery services from Dunedin to Fortrose in 19th century New Zealand. In particular it is the story of John Low who arrived in Balclutha in 1866 and married Elspeth Ayson. Thus began the family of Lows that helped build and shape the town which became the main settlement of South Otago.  It is the story of three generations of an ordinary New Zealand family which, in the telling of their experiences, transverses the changing panorama of community life, social values and economic challenges that contributed to the building of a nation.
The latter half of the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th were marked by dramatic events both in New Zealand and around the globe. Ordinary families like the Lows were affected by these events to a greater or lesser degree. The gold rushes in Lawrence and the Dunstan; the devastating floods on the Clutha River; three wars on foreign shores; the influenza pandemic , mine collapses and the tragic fire at Seacliff Hospital that killed 37 patients are all part of the Low story as are the personal tragedies that accompany bankruptcies and suicides. But so too are the many festivals, concerts, picnics and celebrations to mark the passing of the years. Such events were very much part of the day-to-day lives of the Low families and the communities in which they lived.
The book is the result of about 18 months of intensive research. It comprises about 150 pages and over 80 photos. Many of the photos are only copies, supplied by descendants of John and Elspeth some of whom have also contributed memories of their grandparents or great aunts and uncles.
Elspeth and John Low Elspeth tartan

 
 
 
 

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