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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Farmers

Farmers.

Allison, Edward, Farmer and Threshing Machine Proprietor, Cust. Mr. Allison was born in Lancashire, England, in 1844, and was brought up to country life. Till 1866 he was a farm servant. In that year he came to Lyttelton by the ship “Blue Jacket,” and found employment at shearing and other farm work in the Cust district, for several years. About 1870 he commenced his experience in connection with threshing machines. Within a short time he had an interest in a machine, and soon afterwards became proprietor of a complete plant, which he has worked successfully for many years. Mr. Allison resides on a section of fifty acres of freehold land, which he farms. He was married, in 1881, to a daughter of Mr. J. Worgan, of Lyttelton, and has three daughters and two sons.

Anderson, William, Farmer, Cust. This old settler was born at Dairy, Ayrshire, in 1843, and worked on his father's farm at Towuhead, Lanarkshire, till the age of twenty, when he resolved to try his fortune in New Zealand, and sailed in the ship “Sebastopol” for Canterbury. He landed at Lyttelton on the 24th of May, 1863, after a voyage of 126 days. He worked for the provincial government on road formation and repairing, then joined the late Mr. Seabright in a contract for delivering telegraph poles along the line from Riccarton to the Rangitata river. They encountered many hardships and dangers from storms and floods, having on one occasion to retreat from their camp, cross the river, and make for Riccarton, after losing a quantity of their stores and material. Mr. Anderson settled in the Cust district in 1864, where he gradually increased his lands to 1000 acres. He was for several years a member of the road board, and chairman for about three years. At one time he had a very severe illness, which page 486 paralysed one side, but he still continued doing service for the district and was chairman of the Stoke School Committee for about twelve years until failing health necessitated his retirement. He was married in 1862 to Miss Baxter and has six sons and four daughters; four sons are farming on their own account at Rakaia, Mason's Flat, and North Loburn.

Atkinson, R. D., Farmer, Farleigh Estate, Cust. Mr. Atkinson was born in Essex, England, and was educated at Repton. He was intended for the Church, but came to the Colony in the s.s “Jonic” and settled on his uncle's stations “Brochenhurst” and “Eskhead” for a number of years. The Farleigh property comprises 600 acres and was purchased in 1800. It is devoted chiefly to the raising and fattening of sheep for which the land is admirably adapted, being noted for its crops of turnips and rape. The proprietor's favourite sheep are Shropshires, of which he has a stud flock of the celebrated Mac Lean strain. He obtains an average of ninety-eight per cent of lambs. The property carries about 1500 sheep, besides a small herd of Ayrshire cattle. Mr. Atkinson is a member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association and has been class-steward for a number of years; as a volunteer officer he is referred to in the Military Section of this volume. Mr. Atkinson owns a trotting stock, which he has run with success. He was married, in 1891, to Miss Cowe, of Edinburgh, and has one daughter.

Fairweather, Frank Ernest, Farmer, “Pleasant View,” Summerhill, Cust. Mr. Fairweather was born in Kaiapoi in 1869, and educated there and at Eyreton. He was brought up to agricultural and pastoral life, and worked in connection with his father's estates till he was twenty-four years of age. In 1893 he took over on his own account the estate which he now owns. “Pleasant View” consists of 630 acres of rich, rolling downs, beautifully situated, and well watered with never failing springs. It was, when in its native state, covered with heavy flax, manuka scrub, cabbage trees, and tussocks. The land grows heavy crops of oats, grass seed, turnips, and rape, and the estate carries, besides horses and cattle, 1100 sheep, principally breeding ewes, whose lambs, except the half-bred ewe lambs, are all sold fat. The percentage of lambs for the past ten years has averaged 100 per cent., and has been up to 115 per cent. Mr. Fairweather's sheep are half-and, three-quarter bred Romneys, with sufficient Merino ewes to keep up the half-bred flock. A small stud flock of Romney Marsh is kept. The Romney cross is most suitable on account of the heavy nature of the soil, as sheep of that strain are almost immune from foot rot, and grow a good fleece of clean bright wool. Mr. Fairweather is a member and class steward of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association; a member of the Summerhill school committee, treasurer of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, and a trooper in the Cust Mounted Rifles; and for the past four years he has been a manager, of the Cust Presbyterian church. He was married, in 1895, to Miss Gardner, second daughter of the late Mr. G. G. Gardner, of Cleveland, Cust, and has one daughter and two sons.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs F. E. Fairweather.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs F. E. Fairweather.

Hunter, Adam, Farmer, Willow Farm, Cust. Mr. Hunter was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1840, and is the son of a farmer. His education was finished at Ayr Academy. He had seven years' experience in mercantile life, before coming to Port Chalmers in the ship “Christian McCausland” in 1871. For the first seven years of his residence in New Zealand he was engaged in dairyfarming on Banks' Peninsula, and was afterwards at Springston for three years. Subsequently he was for a time in the North Island. In 1882 he acquired the first portion of his estate in the West Eyreton and Cust districts, and now farms 265 acres of freehold land. Before leaving Scotland Mr. Hunter served for six years in the Ayr Yeomanry Cavalry. He has been a member of the West Eyreton Road Board since 1888, and is now chairman, and has served as a member and as chairman of the Cust Licensing Committee. Since 1893 he has been chairman of the Cust and West Eyreton Cemetery Board. Mr. Hunter was married, in 1869, to a daughter of the late Mr. D. Caldwell, of Blackbyers Farm, Ayr, Scotland, and has four daughters surviving.

Standish and Preece, photo. Mr. and Mrs a. Hunter.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. and Mrs a. Hunter.

Jones, David, Farmer, “The Wattles,” Terrace Road, Cust Valley, Cust. Mr. Jones page 487 was born in South Wales, England, in 1835. He has always been engaged in outdoor pursuits, and landed in Lyttelton by the ship “Cameo” on the 12th of July, 1859. Before settling in the district he resided for a time at Port Levy, Pigeon Bay, and Stonyhurst, and also made a trip to the goldfields of New South Wales and Victoria. He also occupied the position of gardener at Mount Grey station for twelve years. In 1864 Mr. Jones bought the first portion of his land in the Cust Valley, and settled on it in 1875. He was married, in 1867, to a daughter of Mr. McKiernan, of County Cavan, Ireland, and has six sons and one daughter.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs D. Jones.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs D. Jones.

Maitland Vale. This property, consisting of 620 acres, was originally obtained from the Crown in 1864 by the late Mr. Thomas Conway, when the land was in its native state covered with flax and scrub. It is now in thorough cultivation and subdivided into suitable paddocks. In the early days, farming was started under great difficulties; Mr. Conway paid £50 for his first yoke of working bullocks, and £20 for his first cow.

Mr. W. F. Conway, son of the late Mr. Thomas Conway, and present owner of Maitland Vale, was born in 1852 in London, where he was educated. He came to Dunedin in 1862 in the ship “Scoresby,” and lived for twelve months in Christchurch before settling at Maitland Vale. He carries on a system of mixed farming, but gives most of his attention to breeding and fattening sheep for the export trade. He grows fine crops of turnips and rape for feed. His favourite breed of sheep is the English Leicester and their crosses. Mr. Conway has been a member of the Cust Road Board and school committee. He was married in 1883 to Miss Childs, and has four sons and two daughters.

Pawsey, Benjamin Smith, Farmer, “Wattle Grove,” Cust Valley, Cust. Mr. Pawsey was born at Haughley, Suffolk, England, in 1846, and was brought up to out-door pursuits. He landed in Lyttelton in 1859 by the ship “Clontarf,” and after three years in Christchurch removed to Balcairn, where he found employment until 1870 on the farm of his father, Mr. J. R. Pawsey. Since that year Mr. Pawsey has farmed on his own account in the Cust Valley, and has brought his fine property of 250 acres of freehold land from its natural condition to its present high state of cultivation. He was married, in 1869, to a daughtter of Mr. R. Evans, of Rangiora, and has two sons and six daughters.

Tolpult and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs B. S. Pawsey.

Tolpult and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs B. S. Pawsey.

Roberts, George Henry, Farmer, Evenley Farm, Cust. Mr. Roberts was born in 1866, in the Cust district, where he was educated and brought up to country life. Since 1898 he has been farming on his own account. His property consists of 228 acres, of which forty-one are leasehold. Since 1901 Mr. Roberts has served as a member of the Cust Road Board. As a volunteer he is connected with the Cust Mounted Rifles, which he joined in 1900. Mr. Roberts was married, in 1900, to a daughter of the late Mr. Dohrmann, of Bennetts, and has one daughter.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs G. H. Roberts and Child.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs G. H. Roberts and Child.

Smith, John, Farmer, Totara Farm, Cust. Mr. Smith was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1841, and followed farming. In 1863 he left for Port Chalmers in the ship “City of Dunedin.” He engaged in farm work for some time, and joined the “rush” to the West Coast goldfields. He then went to the Otago diggings, where he remained for six years. On coming to Canterbury, Mr. Smith went to Rangiora, where he followed farm work for some time, and finally settled in the Cust district in 1872. His farm consists of 180 acres of freehold and 320 acres of leasehold land. He has been a member of the West Eyreton Road Board since 1882. His youngest son was killed in South Africa whilst fighting with the Seventh New Zealand Contingent. Mr Smith was married, in 1868, to a daughter of the late Mr. H. Stark, of Flaxton. Mrs. Smith died in 1896, leaving four sons and four daughters. Mr. Smith was married, in 1897, to the widow of the late Mr. A. McCracken, of Rangiora.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs J. Smith.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs J. Smith.

Smith, Samuel, Farmer, Cust Valley, Cust. Mr. Smith is the son of Mr. William Smith, farmer, of West Eyroton, and was born at West Eyreton in 1870. He was brought up to country life, and worked on his father's page 488 farm until 1898, when he settled in the Cust Valley. He farms 451 acres of land, and gives his attention chiefly to sheep-breeding. Mr. Smith was married, in December, 1898, to the only daughter of the late Mr. A. Prebbles, of Cust, and has one son.

Webster, James, Farmer, “Mountain View,” North Moeraki Downs, Cust. Mr. Webster was born in Forfarshire, Scotland in 1834. He has always been engaged in outdoor pursuits, and came to Lyttelton in the ship “Cameo” in 1859. For some time he was employed in gardening, and became forester on the Riccarton estate, where he remained for sixteen years. Having acquired land, soon after landing, at North Moeraki Downs, he settled on his property in 1876. Mr. Webster owns sixty-seven acres where he lesides, and has another property of ninety-three years at Summerhill. For several years he acted as commissioner for the Stoke school. He was married, in 1858, before leaving Scotland, to a daughter of the late Mr. J. Ramsay, of Tayport, Fifeshire, Scotland, and has four sons and three daughters surviving; there are also twelve grandchildren.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo. Mr. and Mrs J. Webster.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs J. Webster.