Martha Joan Spence who was born on 3rd September 1831 in Lerwick was the seventh of twelve children of William Spence and Jane Green Fea.

She was with her family at Hillhead, Lerwick in 1841 and a visitor at the Tingwall Manse in 1851 with her sister, Philothia Spence.

Martha married Robert Campbell Maclaurin at Cockburnspath in Berwickshire on 18th June 1853. Robert was born on 3rd November 1819 in Berwick on Tweed and was the son of Robert Maclaurin and Catherine Cockburn. He was baptised on 15th November in the Golden Square, Presbyterian Church.

Robert graduated with a BA from Glasgow University and was at Salisbury St, Edinburgh in 1851 with his mother and younger sister, also Catherine Maclaurin. He was at this time a probationary minister with the Church of Scotland.

Martha and Robert stayed initially in Shetland where the six of their children were born with the subsequent children born after moving to Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

• Jane Grace MacLaurin b. 15th November 1854 in Lerwick who married Thomas Goodfellow.

• Robert Campbell MacLaurin b. 12th August 1856, Sandsting. Robert died at Lindean, Galashiels in the Scottish Borders on 12th January 1866.

• Catherine Cockburn MacLaurin b. 8th August 1858, Sansting who married Edward Waddington.

• Jessie Paterson MacLaurin b. 4th May 1860 in Lerwick. Jessie died in New Zealand in 1909.

• William Gilbert MacLaurin b. 23rd October 1862, Sandsting who married Catherine Mack. William's younger brother, James Scott Maclaurin, married a sister of Catherine.

• James Scott MacLaurin b. 8th November 1864 in Unst who married Dorcas Macky.

• Edward Thomas Woodward MacLaurin b. 9th April 1867 in Galashiels who married Winifred Ball

• Margaret Smith MacLaurin b. 21st March 1869 in Galashiels who married John Henry Rudall in 1895. They had eight children born in New Zealand. Margaret died in 1923.

• Richard Cockburn MacLaurin b. 5th June 1870 in Galashiels who married Margaret Alice Pairman Young

• Elizabeth Ann Philothea MacLaurin b. 12th February 1873 in Galashiels who married William Ball (b. 1867). Elizabeth and William had three children: Kenneth Ball (b. 1899; d. 1952); Catherine Ball (b. 1902; d. 1980) and Robert Ball (b. 1903; d. 1972). William died in 1942 and Elizabeth in 1952.

• Kenneth Campbell MacLaurin b. 3rd March 1874 in Edinburgh who married Gwladys Rodger Jones in 1907. Kenneth was a school teacher. He and Gwladys had two children. Kenneth died on 10th December 1956 and Gwladys in December 1964, both in Auckland. See also a biography of their son, Griffith Campbell Maclaurin.

According to the 1871 census, Robert was then an agent for the railway and staying with Martha and some of the family at the Galashiels Railway Station. He was subsequently a teacher.

The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1874.

Robert died on 17th November 1890 in Ohinemuri and was buried in Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland. Martha died on 15th November 1895 at Turanga Creek and was also buried in the Waikumete Cemetery.