Mr. James Gorton Crompton, Representative of Wise's Directories in Canterbury, is a Lancashire man. He was born in Liverpool in 1833, was educated in Cheshire and brought up to mercantile life. After some years he learned land surveying and farming, and in 1852, came out to Australia per ship “Albatross,” and two years later returned Home via South America. Taking up a large farm in Cumberland, an old homestead known as Calthwaite Hall, he remained there for three years, and subsequently travelled in Scotland as the representative of a Sheffield firm for two years. Arriving in Otago in 1861, at the time of the Gabriel's Gully “rush,” Mr. Crompton resided for thirty years in that provincial district, following gold-buying for several of the banks, and also storekeeping. He followed the various “rushes” in Otago. Removing to Christchurch in 1891, Mr. Crompton has represented Messrs. Wise and Co. since that date. He was married in 1855, in Montrose, Scotland, and has one son and two daughters.