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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

[Ex-Councillors]

Mr. William Baker, ex-councillor of the borough of Feilding, is a very large landowner in the Feilding district, possessing page 1223 in all some 2900 acres of freehold land. Of these, 2000 are leased by his nephew, Mr. Short, at Waituna, whilst the remaining 900 are situate at Makino, where Mr. Baker has his well-appointed and comfortable farmhouse. He runs a flock of about 2000 mixed sheep, and a herd of 100 head of cattle. Close to the homestead, which is a comfortable building of eleven rooms, is the orchard of one-and-a-half acres of the best fruit trees. The Makino property is a good one for fattening stock, Mr. Baker putting off on an average 500 sheep per mouth. It is, in fact, a special line of Mr. Baker's to buy store stock and fatten them for market. This branch of business Mr. Baker follows with great success. Born in the Empire City in 1818, Mr. Baker received his education at Karori, in which place his
Mr. William Baker

Photo by Bunting.

parents resided. “Baker's Hill,” the well-known scene of the late gold rush, being named after his father. After spending a number of years farming in the Wellington District, Mr. Baker removed to the Feilding District and took up a farm at Sanden. where he remained for a number of years. He then acquired his Makino property, and on the opening-up of the Waituna acquired the fine property now leased by his nephew. Mr. Baker served for three years as a member of the Feilding Borough Council, and his services were much appreciated by the general public. For many years he was also a member of the Makino School Committee. In his early days in Wellington he was an ardent member of the Karori Rifle Volunteers. He is married to a daughter of Mr. Jeffreys, of March-field, England, and has one son and ten daughters.

Mr. Fairfield Thompson, an ex-councillor of the Feilding Borough was born in Belfast Ireland, in 1816, and educated there. After learning the cabinetmaking trade, he worked for seven years in the Queen's Island Shipyards, Belfast. He came to New Zealand in 1874 in the ship “Douglas,” landing at Wellington, and afterwards proceeded to Feilding, where he followed the business of a carpenter and builder. Amongst the contracts executed by him are several railway bridges. the Wanganui Gaol, and the Anglican Church. Patea. Securing 200 acres of good land on Kimbolton Road, he gave up building and started dairying in 1892. He keeps 110 cows, and is making a specialty of the Ayrshire and Jersey crossbred cattle. His dairy is fitted with all the latest dairying appliances, and in summer the weekly output of butter is from four to five hundredweight, all of which is sold in the province. The work of the farm is done by Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and their family.

Mr. Henry Worsfold sat in the Feilding Borough Council for about ten years and finally retired in 1896. He was born in Horsham, Sussex, England, in 1838, his father being a gardener there On completing his education at the Horsham Free Grammar School, he went to London and took up the occupation of a gardener. He came to New Zealand in 1874 in the ship “Ocean Mail,” coming out as an emigrant under the Feilding Emigration and Colonists' Aid Association, and took up an acre section in Queen Street, and soon afterwards secured a forty-acre section. This latter he has since disposed of. For the first few years in the new settlement he was engaged principally in bush-felling, and for fifteen years was engine driver in a sawmill owned by Messrs. Bartholomew Bros. at Levin. Upon leaving that he resumed gardening as an occupation, which he still follows. He has two acres planted as a nursery in Queen Street. Mr. Worsfold is a Past Master in the Freemasons, is treasurer of the Feilding Foresters' Lodge, secretary and treasurer of the local fire brigade, custodian of the bowling green, member of the Feilding Athletic Club, and has been chairman of the local school committee for two years. He is married, and has four sons, all grown up.

page 1224
Manchester Square in 1875.

Manchester Square in 1875.

The Kiwitea County Council, which was formed in 1892, having previously to this exercised the functions of a road board, is made up of the following ridings:—Makino, Apiti, Hautapu, Waituna, Kimbolton, Ongo, and Oroua. The annual rateable value in 1892 was £396,482, which in 1895 had increased to £29,000. The members for 1896 were:—Messrs. W. F. Jacob (chairman), J. J. Williamson, H. G. Shannon, Price-Jones, Wm. Morton, A. H. Tompkins, and Jas. Read. Mr. Chas. Bray is clerk to the Council, the meetings of which are held on the third Saturday in each month.

Councillor William Frederick Jacob, Chairman of the Kiwitea County Council, was born in Dublin in 1852. Mr. Jacob received private tuition, and served his time in his father's biscuit factory. Coming to the Colony in 1882 for the benefit of his health, he was so favourably impressed with the country and climate that he determined to throw in his lot with his friends in New Zealand. Nine months were spent in looking for the farm which was to be his future home, and he finally took up his present property of 620 acres of freehold land, on which he grazes 1500 Romney sheep and over 100 head of cattle. Abundant shelter is provided by bush, and the property is watered by a never-failing stream. The house and grounds are among the pleasantest in the Kiwitea district.

Councillor W. F. Jacob.

Councillor W. F. Jacob.

The Manchester Road Board has its offices in Manchester Street, Feilding. The members of the Board are:—Messrs. F. Y. Lethbridge, M.H.R. (chairman), Feilding; James Purkiss, Halcombe; G. C. Wheeler, Stanway; H. J. Booth, Makino; W. G. Pearce, Colyton; and D. Thomas, Ashurst. Mr. Charles Bray, sen., is the secretary, valuer, returning officer, and engineer. The Road Board was established in 1879, and with the exception of the borough of Feilding, the whole of the Manchester Block, comprising an area of 106,000 acres, comes under its jurisdiction. The rateable capital value is £878,592. The Board's income amounts to about £2500 per annum. A general rate of 8d. in the pound, with a special rate of three-sixteenths of a penny in the pound, is levied by the Board. The district is divided into six wards, each of which returns one member to the Board. Some of the wards have special rates which apply to them only. There are about 700 ratepayers in the district.

Mr. Charles Bray, senr., the Secretary of the Manchester Road Board, resides in Grey Street, Feilding. He was appointed to the position of secretary, engineer, etc., in 1879, on the foundation of the Board. He was born in Cornwall, and came out, per ship “Palmyra,” to Nelson in 1858. Mr. Bray commenced his colonial career in Nelson. He had afterwards a considerable experience on the West Coast and Otago diggings. As a contractor, he subsequently undertook the formation of roads and construction of bridges for about eleven years.

The Manchester Rifle Volunteer Corps. The officers of the Company (with dates of their appointments) are:—Captain George Kirton (4th of October, 1893), Lieutenants Charles Bray (6th of April, 1892), and John Edward Barltrop (4th of July, 1894), and Surgeon-Captain John Sorley (14th of July, 1892).