Addington, Charles, Farmer, Courtenay. Mr. Addington is a son of Mr. George Addington, a well-known settler of Kimberley. He was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1873, and came out with his parents in the ship “Cathcart,” which landed at Lyttelton. Mr. Addington was brought up in the Aylesbury and Courtenay districts, and learned farming upon his father's property. In 1902 he started on his own account, by leasing 330 acres of the Desent Farm, all good agricultural land, from which he threshed forty-seven bushels of oats per acre in 1903. He successfully carries on mixed farming. page 739 Mr. Addington married a daughter of Mr. William McClelland, an old settler in the Kimberely district.

Mr. and Mrs C. Addington.

Bedford, George, Farmer, “Apsley,” Courtenay. Mr. Bedford was born in 1842 in Berkhampstead, Herts, England, and was educated partly in Herts and partly in London, to which he removed in 1853. He came to New Zealand in the ship “Mystery,” in 1859, on her first voyage to the Colony, and followed station life for four years. After being six months at Gabriel's Gully, he returned to Canterbury, and subsequently entered into the business of hotel-keeping. He was proprietor of the Miners' Arms Hotel during the “rush” to the West Coast, from 1864 to 1867 In 1868, he bought the first portion of his present farm, which now comprises 800 acres. Mr. Bedford has brought his land into a state of high cultivation. He devotes it to the production of wool and of mutton for the export trade, and a large number of lambs are annually available for this purpose. The improvements consist of a good dwellinghouse, with the necessary outbuildings, garden, orchard, and plantations, and the land is well divided with good fences. Mr. Bedford is a member of the local road board and school committee. He was for fourteen years chairman of the domain board, and was secretary to the Courtenay Agricultural and Pastoral Association, of which he is now president, and he is secretary of the Kirwee Saleyards Company. Mr. Bedford has been land valuator for the Government and for the road board for more than twenty years. He was married in 1864, to Miss Smith, daughter of Mr. H. A. Smith, the first jeweller in Christchurch, and has four sons. Mr. Smith made the silver trowel for laying the foundation of the Christchurch Cathedral. The trowel is now in the Canterbury Museum, to which it was presented by the family of the late Bishop Harper.

Bedford, George Addington, Berkeley Farm, Courtenay. Mr. Bedford is the eldest son of Mr. George Bedford, an early settler in the district. He was born in Christchurch, but was brought up and educated at Courtenay, and trained to a farming life under his father. Berkeley Farm was one of the first properties taken up in the district; it is all good agricultural land, and yields very fair crops. Mr. Bedford also leases 1000 acres of river-bed land, on which he grazes a flock of half-bred and cross-bred sheep. Rape and turnips are also cultivated for winter feed. Mr. Bedford is a member of the Courtenay school committee, and is connected with St. Matthew's Anglican church. He is a member of the local Court of Foresters, and has passed through the chairs. Mr. Bedford married a daughter of the late Mr. Archibald McNae, one of the early colonists of Courtenay.

Desert Farm, Courtenay, is the home stead property of the old Desert run, formerly held by Mr. Owen, and afterwards taken over by Mr. Herbert Mathias. The farm now comprises 665 acres, facing the Waimakariri river. All the land has been under cultivation; it has returned good average crops, and mixed farming has been successfully carried on upon it. Of late years Mr. Feutz, the present proprietor, has let most of the property to adjoining tenants, but still retains eighty-five acres around the homestead. The residence is a handsome two-story building surrounded by a well laid out garden, and a long avenue of trees leads to the main road.

Mr. Henry Feutz, Proprietor of the Desert Farm, was born in Switzerland, in 1851. He spent his youthful years in London, where he was educated, and trained for the legal profession. In 1876 Mr. Feutz left England for New Zealand, in the ship “Wairoa” on her maiden trip. On arriving in Christchurch, he found employment with Mr. Duncan, the well-known solicitor. Shortly afterwards, however, he went to Springston, where he learned farming under the late Mr. James Gammack. Five years later Mr. Feutz removed to Irwell, where he bought a farm, on which he remained two years. He then took a trip through the North Island and Australia, and afterwards returned, for a short time, to Mr. Gammack's. Mr. Feutz then visited England, where he was married. After returning to the colony, with his wife, in 1886, he bought Desert Farm, where he has since resided. On his eyes becoming affected he visited Christchurch, Dunedin, and Melbourne, and consulted the best oculists in those cities; but their efforts were unavailing, and in 1891 Mr. Feutz became totally blind. Despite this he maintains a cheerful disposition, and takes part in public affairs. He still retains a seat on the local school committee, and is a member of the Courtenay Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr. Foutz has a family of two sons and four daughters.

Mr. and Mrs H. Feutz and Family.

Turner, John, Farmer, Courtenay. Mr. Turner was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1837, and was brought up as a gardener. In 1863, he left England in the ship “Chariot of Fame,” and landed at Lyttelton in the same years. His first colonial experience was under Mr. G. A. Ross, of Stonycroft, Hornby, where he worked two years, and was afterwards for a time at West Melton, on another of that gentleman's farms. Mr. Turner then started on his own account with a farm at Halkett, and successfully carried it on until 1882, when he sold out and took up his present property at Courtenay. This comprises 300 acres of first-class agricultural land. which is devoted page 740 to crops and sheep. Mr. Turner has been a member of both the Courtenay and Kirwee Domain Boards ever since their inception. He is a member of the Courtenay Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and for some time served on the Courtenay school committee. For fifteen years he was a churchwarden at St. George's church, Kirwee, and was afterwards vestryman at St. Matthew's. Mr. Turner was married in England, and has a family of three sons and three daughters.