Blair family photograph ? late 1890's

Andrew Blair in insert.  In the back row Jack, George (my grandfather's father) and Jim.  Very dashing looking chaps.  John Blair and Martha are in the middle of the photograph and then the girls are left to right: Martha, Florence, Mary and Jessie.  This photograph was taken from the original on my cell phone, I'll upgrade it to a higher resolution picture at some point.

Updated timeline of events in Jessie's life...

Date	What we know	To follow up
1877	Jessie Dougall Blair, third daughter born to John and Martha Blair (nee Dougall), First Clerk of the Green Island Presbyterian Church Deacon’s Court, Dunedin.	Family Tree
1895 Apr 1899 à	Jessie begins to think about entering the “foreign mission field”.  She is an active member of the Christian Endeavour Society (1895-1888/9), a Sunday school teacher and later runs a bible class for “lads”. Jessie writes a letter to the Executive of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union in 1898 regarding her availability for missions.  Her letter intersects with a letter from the PIVM requesting an “intelligent young woman” as a missionary.  Jessie’s appointment is recommended by Professor Watts and the Rev J Spence of Clinton.  Miss Bernard of PIVM writes and accepts Jessie. 32 pounds 12s and 5d is raised for her passage by the local PWMU branches, and a portion of this is contributed from the Zenana Mission Fund. Jessie trained for a few weeks under Mrs Driver at the Missionary Training Institute, (moved to Castle Street, Dunedin 1901).  Classes given on bible study, Christian ethics, evidences of Christianity, outlines of Christian doctrine, physiology, medicine, English and music.  Mrs Driver (b 1862) previously a missionary in east Bengal (Bangladesh) 1887-1889 but had to return home due to ill health.  Settled in Dunedin 1892 and set up the MTI.  Helped establish the Baptist Women’s Missionary Union. d 1943. Brother, a doctor died in missionary service in Bangladesh of dysentery in 1905.  Mr H H Driver was General Secretary of the NZ Baptist Union and Missionary Society.
1896	The Plague (bubonic/pneumonic) epidemic started in Bombay (now Mumbai). Victims are sent to ‘detachment’ camps, their bodies burned when they die.  Also from 1896-1908 severe famine rages due the repeated failure of the monsoon.
Up until 1897	Amy Parsons (Australia) is the only woman worker at PIVM.
12 Aug 1899	Farewell at Victoria Hall, Dunedin.  Mr John Lowe (a former Engineer in Chief at NZ Railways) and his wife Charlotte and daughter Amy (they have one daughter, and six sons, including Manley and Frank who will travel with them) speak prior to their departure for India.  Jessie will be accompanying them.  Money has been raised for her passage. Their aim is to establish a resort in the hills (Mahabaleshwar Rest Station) to which missionaries engaged in teaching could retire to ‘recruit’.  Mrs Lowe was to be in charge of it, while Mr Lowe helped out with local evangelism. At this time there are 51 members of the Poona Village Mission – 32 ladies and 22 gentlemen*. (In 1895, Charles Reeve, an experienced evangelist from Tasmania, established the Poona and Indian Village Mission (PIVM) in Poona. He travelled regularly to England, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia to recruit missionaries and to raise funds.  The mission was multi-denominational).  The HQ of the PIVM was 10 Napier Road, Poona 1.	How well did Jessie know the Lowe’s?  Was Amy Lowe a friend? Who were these others?
Sep 1899	Jessie travelled Dunedin to Melbourne, leaving Melbourne on 12 September 1899 with 30 other missionaries on the SS Karlsruhe bound for Colombo.  She and the other women travel in the second class, the men travel in steerage.  At Colombo they board the B & I SS Lawada, primarily a cargo ship and travel to Bombay.	On what ship did Jessie travel Dunedin to Melbourne?
9 Oct 1899	Jessie arrived in Poona.  The usual length of service was 5 years before furlough, however most lasted just two years before they had to take a break due to ill health. New members who were part of Jessie’s party: Lucy E F Morison, L Pauline Morison, Ernest A Rimmer (-> Poona), E W Brown (-> Poona), J J Baily, Josiah A Ryburn (-> Poona), Flora Wilkes, A F Witty, J H de Carteret (-> Poona), Fred Strange (Nasarapur). The Lowe’s resided at No 8 Elphinstone Road, Poona (Lord Elphinstone was a Governor of Poona). Jessie worked as an associate missionary working with Miss Bernard and Miss Kesting in the Zenana Mission.
End 1899 or early 1900	Jessie refers in a later letter to one that she sent back to the church at this time.  Minutes of the PMWU February 1900 refer to a letter received from Jessie.	What happened to Jessie’s letters?
Dec 1899	Misses Hooper and Ford leave for NZ, both returning on doctor’s certificates. Work among Brahmins and students restarts after stopping for several months due to plague.  Misses M Steel, A Morton, K Steel, L Knights, F E Frith, R Roberts and M Sharp taking their annual holiday at Mahabaleshwar.  Staying in Norheim the temporary Mission Rest Home.
Jan 1900	Nurse Short, Misses Munnings, Simpson, Frederick, Kay, Jenkyn, Newton, Robertson and Beale to to Mahabaleshwar for a rest.  Nurse Morrison is convalescing from diptheria.
Feb 7-9 1900	Third Annual Convention of the PIVM.  Mrs Orlebar negotiating for the Fountain Hotel – her object to provide a Home where Christian workers may find spiritual fellowship and help and physical rest.
Mar 1900	Jessie’s mother, Martha travels to Scotland.  She is presented with a bible by the church before she leaves.  She is involved with a mission society in Scotland. 20th - The Lowe’s moved from Poona to “Bonne Vue” (Mahabeleshwar) for the rest of the season. Misses Harrison, Brown, Wier and Burder resting at Mahabaleshwar.
4 Apr 1900	Jessie’s LETTER to home church: Visited Paud, 20 miles from Poona, worked with 100 needy women.  (The church at Paud belonged to the Church of Scotland during the British era, now owned by Church of North India). Camp pitched in a valley surrounded by hills. Travelled overnight for 12 hours by mule and cart to Mahabaleshwar via Wathar (spelt incorrectly in the letter as Wathai) and Panchgani. Stayed at a “nice little bungalow” called “Ilona” belonging to members of the mission.  Situated high in jungle trees.  A few minutes walk from the bungalow can see the lake (Lake Venna). Sat on monument erected in memory of the late Governor of Poona. “Many missionaries from all over India are here” – the Fountain Hotel “occupied this summer entirely by missionaries”.  Mr Lowe conducts a bible reading there twice a week. Visited “old Mahabaleshwar”, saw two temples Wednesday morning’s prayer meeting at “Norheim” – neighbouring bungalow. Saturday evening’s weekly prayer meeting at American Mission Hall. Open air meetings in the bazaar. Famine “raging” in India (due to failure of the monsoon).  60 children being cared for in the orphanage. Learning the language (Marathi) with first exam due in September. Requests prayers for safety from “terrible plague”. Mr Fred Perry who has been suffering from insomnia goes to Mahabaleshwar “for a change.” PIMV holds “Soldier’s Meetings” at Evangelistic Hall.	Is Ilona still there today?  Old Mahabsleshwar 2.5 miles away.  Next door bungalow “Norheim”.  Also “Bonne Vue”. Does this still exist? Where was the orphanage?
May 1900	Messrs Irvine and Murray are recruiting at Mahabaleshwar, also Mrs Cutts (staying at Fountain Hotel) and Nurse Morrison (staying at Bonne Vue). .  Miss McGrotty of the ZBM Mission passed away May 21st – of “overwork”.
June 1900	Jessie and other members of the PIVM are photographed outside a bungalow, ? Location, but likely Poona.  Published in WATH, ? taken at PIVM convention in February.  Cholera breaks out at some of the Missions.  Most of workers have returned from Mahabaleshwar.  Half-toned block process Plant now at work – able to reproduce photographs in the newsletter.  Mrs Wilkie Brown, wife of Rev W E Wilkie Brown of the Free Church Mission in Poona “called home” after at first appearing to recover.
July 1900	The head office of PIVM is transferred to Nasarapur.  The monsoon is delayed.  Mr Reeves is unwell and having to rest.  Mr W Perry returns home to Australia, after being ordered to leave by doctor.
Aug 1900	Amy Lowe began training at the Mission Hospital for women in Poona. Miss Robertson, seriously ill for some days.  Mrs Cutts, Mrs Lowe and Miss Wilkes also unwell. From the other bungalow Messrs Low, Strutton, Wark, Ryburn and Valpy were also sick – “chiefly Malarial fever”.  Messrs Plow, Hinton and O’Farrell were also unwell at Nasarapur.
Sep 1900	15th - The Lowe’s leave India (from Bombay to Trieste) having been ‘compelled’ to by their son Frank’s ill health.  Earlier in the year their son Manley (aged 15) had died of a cholera-type illness in seven days (somewhere between April and August).  White Already to Harvest (WATH) September 1900 describes Manley as having a “buoyant disposition and gentle manners”.  He had hoped to undertake medical training and become a missionary.  He had been baptised on arrival at Poona in 1899. Missionaries resting at Mahabaleshwar:  A Morton, Miss K Steel, L Knights, SG Frith, M Sharp, R R Cuttle. 15 plague cases reported in a single day. Mrs Cutts leaves India due to her health.  Mr A H Leigh (PIVM Secretary) also to leave India on medical advice but in fact gets very sick and has to be treated in hospital then convalesce at Mahabaleshwar before he can leave. 13th – Poona Day of Prayer, YMCA rooms, East Street
Oct 1900	Increase in plague victims – 94 deaths in one day.  Miss L Simpson (from PIVM) to be in charge of Parsee Plague Hospital for a few months. 15th – Miss Glesen and Miss and Master de Carteret from NZ join PIVM. 22nd - Jessie dies of Typhoid (Salmonella typhi) in hospital in Poona (? At Sassoon Hospital).  Spread person-to-person via faecal/oral route or contaminated food/water.  Fever develops up to 60 days after infection.  Fever, headache, rash, +/- diahorrea, abdominal pain, delirium, dehydration.  Has set stages that generally take four weeks to progress through to recovery.  Death occurs when bowel perforation or septicaemia occurs.  Clearly Jessie had complications that caused her death. Inoculation for Typhoid was underway by 1910.  The fly was the usual agent of faecal-> oral transmission. Jessie’s mother got the news of her death while returning from Scotland on SS Perthshire on which her son John (from Waitana, Taranaki) was an engineer (SS Perthshire frequently travelled London>NZ (including Bluff>London). 29th – Mrs Reeve arrives in Poona for a 6-month visit.	Who cared for her?  Was her body burned or buried?
Nov 1900	Messrs Rimmer, Bartram, Strange, Duthie, Hinton, Evans, Brown and Badden are spending their holidays at Mahabaleshwar.  Miss Edith Reeve (daughter of Mr Reeve) remains unwell. Dr Watt gives a eulogy for Jessie at the morning service of the Green Island Presbyterian Church.
19 Mar 1901	At monthly prayer meeting of Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union, Jessie Blair is remembered.  Her aunt, Mrs Kirkland speaks.
	*Miss Alice Henderson (1895-1901) and Miss Helen MacGregor (1892-1901) had previously been stationed in Madras.  Miss Henderson was from Akaroa, Miss MacGregor from Oamaru, she died in 1933 after retiring in 1928).  Miss Henderson and Miss McGregor clearly came to Poona to help out (both sent quite a number of letters – MacGregor 36, Henderson 10 - back to the Presbyterian church which are held in the archives. Miss Henderson wrote several books.) Other Mission stations were at Nasarapur, Khed-Shiwapur, Lonand, Shirwal.