McGowan & Rowley families Dunedin? *COMPLETED*

[pastandpast]

Hi
Re your query re Janet Bain.  Was brought up to believe she was my great grandmother, however, it was her sister Elizabeth who was my great grandmother.  They came from Stirlingshire, Scotland.  Their father was Alexander Bain. Janet Bain married George Bentley in Oamaru in 1868.  She married Benjamin Salvin in 1890 but their son Joseph Alexander was born in 1883 and have wondered why they married so long after he was born but guess it had something to do with what happened to George Bentley (which I have not succeeded in finding out).  Since Janet's sister Elizabeth was Elizabeth Bentley I have a feeling that she was married to George's brother who could have been Richard Bentley.  However, Elizabeth Bentley had two daughters to Benjamin Salvin, Mary Ann born in 1878 and Prudentia (my grandmother) in 1881.  Janet and Benjamin must have brought up the two girls (Mary and Prudentia) as it seems they looked upon Janet as their mother.  Janet died in 1904. Looked on bdm NZ and found a Janet and George Bentley had a son James Alexander born 1873, Ellen Maud born 1875 and Harriet Jane born 1872 - not sure if this is the same family.  Have not been able to find what happened to Elizabeth Bentley but would be interested to find out.  Hope this is of some use.
 

[Johnf04]

Pastandpast - have you seen this report about the children of George Bentley in the North Otago Times?

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NOT18770126.2.12?end_date=1890-12-31&items_per_page=100&phrase=2&query=George+Bentley&snippet=true&sort_by=byDA&start_date=1868-01-01

And also here:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NOT18770127.2.11?end_date=1890-12-31&items_per_page=100&phrase=2&query=George+Bentley&snippet=true&sort_by=byDA&start_date=1868-01-01