Isabella Hunter was the daughter of Matthew Dysart Hunter (1803–1869) of Anton's Hill near Leitholm in rural Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. Matthew Dysart Hunter inherited Anton's Hill from his mother, Jean Dickson (d.1845). Anton's Hill House was designed for the Dicksons in the 1830s by the leading Scottish architect William Burns. Matthew's father was General Sir Martin Hunter GCH GCMG (1757–1846), of Medomsley, Co. Durham, who saw action in the American Revolutionary War before serving in India. On his return he served as Governor of Stirling Castle from 1832 to his death. Matthew Dysart Hunter spent time as a merchant in Sydney, Australia, before himself settling at Anton's Hill with his family.
