Hunt, Stephen, Farmer, “Romsley Hill,” French Farm, Barry's Bay. Mr. Hunt was born in 1832, at Romsley Hill, Worcestershire, England. In his early years he followed pit-sawing, at which he worked in Lord Clive's park. Just prior to the Crimean war he joined the militia, and belonged to the first Staffordshire Regiment, of which Lord Alfred Paget was colonel. He served for two years till peace was proclaimed, and the regiment was disbanded. In 1858, he came to New Zealand by the ship “Mystery,” on her first voyage, and entered the service of Mr. Hay, of Pigeon Bay, with whom he remained one year. He then leased French Farm from Miss Dickens for five years. When he purchased the first portion of his present property from the Crown, the land was covered with bush, flax, tutu, and fern. “Romsley Hill” now comprises 420 acres, devoted to dairying and the cultivation of cocksfoot. In the early years of the settlement, Mr. Hunt sold one ton of cheese to Captain Boyd for £100; a transaction to be held in remembrance as illustrative of the “good old days.” Mr. Hunt first stocked his farm with Shorthorn cattle purchased from Mr. Deans. He served on the school committee for many years. Mr. Hunt has been twice married; first to Miss H. Martin, at Norton Common, Staffordshire, in 1857; and secondly, to Miss V. Libeau, of Akaroa, in 1876; and he has nineteen sons and eight daughters, and thirty-nine grand-children. All his children were born in New Zealand, and his first family was distinguished by triplets, girls, who are all living.

Mr. and Mrs S. Hunt.

Stewart, R. A., Farmer, Ellerslie Farm, Barry's Bay. Mr. Stewart was born at Athol, Perthshire, Scotland, and emigrated by the ship “Melbourne,” to Sydney, in 1854, whence he proceeded to Melbourne in the paddle steamer “Governor General.” In Victoria, he followed the gold diggings for many years, and was at Castlemaine, Alma Adelaide, Avoca, Ararat, Fiery Creek, Dunolly, Kilgour, and Bendigo. In New South Wales he worked at Lambing Flat and the Lachlan. He crossed to New Zealand in 1861, to try his luck at the Dunstan, Thomson's Gully, Arrowtown, Shotover, etc. He, however, returned to Dunedin, whence he went in 1862 to Akaroa, in the schooner “Isabella Jackson,” Captain Swanson. Money and food were scarce at Akaroa at that time, but fruit was plentiful, and when he called at the hotel for dinner all he could get was a page 636 plate of cherries. He soon found employment at road-making with Mr. Hughes, and was almost immediately appointed overseer for the Government in connection with cutting the Purau track, which had been surveyed by Mr. E. Dobson. Mr. Stewart afterwards began contracting on his own account, and carried out large jobs for the Provincial Government; among others the road from the sea up Robinson's Bay to Mr. Hughes's mill, and from Robinson's Bay to the head of the bay. This he finished in August, 1863. He was building the sea-wall round the head of the bay in 1864, when all his men left him for the West Coast diggings, but he followed contract work for twenty years, and only gave it up in 1883. Mr. Stewart first took up land in 1864, and he now has a freehold area of 470 acres, devoted to dairying, cocksfoot growing and the production of wool and mutton. He at first stocked his land with dairy cattle and made cheese, for which he obtained as much as eleven-pence per pound. Mr. Stewart has served on the road board for eleven years, and on the school committee for twenty-two years; he was first chairman of the dairy factory, and is a director of the Saleyards Company and a member of the cemetery board. He was married, in 1863, to the eldest daughter of Mr. T. S. Johnston, of Robinson's Bay, and has seven sons, three daughters, and eighteen grand-children.

Mr. and Mrs R. A. Stewart.

Wright, William, Farmer, “Bluegum Cottage,” French Farm, Barry's Bay. Mr. Wright's property consists of 320 acres and was bought from the Crown in 1875, when it was all covered with dense bush. Half of the land is now devoted to cocksfoot growing, and the other half to a Shorthorn dairy herd. Steers reared from the herd bring the highest price for beef, and when the cows are no longer required for the pail, they become fit for the purposes of the butcher; an advantage which the Shorthorn has over the Channel Island and other small breeds. The milk from Mr. Wright's herd is made into cheese at the homestead, and fetches a price second only to that obtained by the factory article. The dairy, cowhouse, and stockyard are models of cleanliness. Mr. Wright was born in the “Red House,” Akaroa, in 1841, and has always been connected with farming. He is a member of the road board, school committee, Farmers' Association, and also of the Masonic brotherhood. Mr. Wright was married, in 1865, to Miss Bates, by whom he had a family of eleven children, and, secondly, to Miss Harris, by whom he has had six children.

Mr. W. Wright.