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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
Mr. James Baring Gould
Mr. James Baring Gould, the Station-master at the Wellington Station of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, was born at Bayswater, near London, and is a son of the late Robert de Tracy Gould, LL.D., Barrister-at Law of the American Bar, for forty years a resident in London, and on his mother's side belongs to a branch of the well-known Baring family. He was educated in Germany, and speaks several modern languages. He came to New Zealand per ship “Otaki” in 1876, arriving in Lyttelton. Mr. Gould, who has travelled a good deal in Europe, gained his initial railway experience during the huge military transports of the Franco-Prussian War, when he was on the German side as a railway and telegraph officer. Mr. Gould also spent some years on the extensive petroleum diggings of the Gallician Carpathians, among the Rathenians, and on his return to his mother country was interested in marble quarrying in North Wales. Soon after his arrival in the Colony Mr. Gould joined the railway service under the Provincial Government of Canterbury. He met with a very serious accident whilst so engaged at Rangiora. He was speedily promoted to the position of stationmaster at several of the South Island stations, and finally was assistant-stationmaster at Christchurch. From this office he was promoted to be chief clerk to the Railway Telegraph Department, under the late superintendent, Mr. W. H. Floyd. On the abolition of the last-named department, Mr. Gould became station-master at Halcombe, in the Manawatn, resigning after three years, owing to ill-health. After eighteen months on a farm in Canterbury his health was completely restored, and in 1885 the position now held was conferred on him. In 1880 Mr. Gould was married to Miss Collins, daughter of Mr. J. Collins, of Christchurch. He has two daughters and one son.