Sheffield is a small township surrounded by a large and prosperous agricultural and pastoral district. It lies thirty-eight miles north-west from Christchurch, on the Springfield railway line. The climate is remarkably bracing and invigorating, as the district is 964 feet above the sea level. Originally it formed part of the Homebush run, and was then covered with its native tussock. The late Mr. John Jebson, the earliest settler at Sheffied, named the township after his native place in England. He bought land, which he cut up into building sections, and erected a small Methodist chapel, which was used as a public school for some time, and is now known as the Oddfellows' Hall. The opening up of the railway to Sheffield in 1874, promoted the growth of the township, as it was the terminus of that line for some years. Other settlers of that period were Messrs George Willis, Thomas Askew, Robert George Fleming, Walter Taylor, William Tresidder, and Hugh Wright, who all took up land in the neighbourhood. Prior to the advent of the railway, Mr. George Willis had built an accommodation house, known as the Malvern Arms Hotel, in the district then designated Little Racecourse Hill, between Sheffield and Annat. In 1875 he built the first hotel at Sheffield, to which he transferred his license. A public library was afterwards erected, but through the apathy of the residents it was subsequently sold. Practically, the whole of the district has been under cultivation. Large areas have been laid down in oats and wheat, and oats yield an average of from thirty-five to forty bushels, and wheat, twenty-five bushels, to the acre. Turnips are also grown on a large scale, and numerous flocks of sheep are raised. An efficient supply of water, fed from the Kowai river, is led by races through every paddock in the district. Sheffield now possesses two churches—Anglican and Methodist—a commodious Town Hall, Oddfellows' Hall, saleyards, a large hotel, two stores, and a blacksmith's shop. The offices of the East Malvern Road Board are also in the township. There is no public school, as the Malvern school at Waddington, and the school at Annat, are sufficiently near at hand. A public domain of twenty acres is planted round with shelter trees. Sheffield is the headquarters of the Malvern Mounted Rifles, page 764 and of the Malvern Trotting Club. The post and telegraph office is at the railway station, and mails arrive and depart twice daily.

The Parish Of Malvern, which is one of the largest in the South Island, was originally worked from Christchurch. Archdeacon Harper, now of Timaru, was in charge. Malvern was formed into a separate district in 1880. The first vicar was the Rev. H. Collins, and for several years the Rev. Walter Bean was vicar. He was succeeded by the Rev. T. Hodgson, the Rev. H. H. Hamilton, and the present vicar. Malvern parish extends from the Waimakariri river to the Rakaia, and from the Courtenay parish to the summit of the Southern Alps. Sheffield is the headquarters, and the residence of the vicar. Springfield, Kowai Bush, the Midland Railway works, and the West Coast road, up to the Bealey; also Waddington, part of Race-course Hill, Coalgate, Hororata, Glentunnel, Glenroy, Windwhistle, and Murchison's run, Glenthorne, are also included in the parish. St. Andrew's church, Sheffield, has accommodation for 110 worshippers; St. Peter's, Springfield, accommodates 140; and St. John's, Hororata, has seats for 120. A new church is (1903) being erected at Glentunnel. Services are held in the schoolrooms at Kowai Bush, at the Midland Railway works, and Glenroy.

The Rev. John Henry Rogers, Vicar of Malvern, was born in Bristol, England, in 1843. He was educated at Harrow, and afterwards studied at Oxford, where he graduated with honours. After being ordained for the Church, by the present Bishop of Gloucester, he was appointed curate of St. Paul's, in Gloucester. Subsequently he became vicar, successively, of the parishes of St. Paul's, Leamington, St. George's, Brighton, St. Matthew's, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich, and St. John's, Pendeen. In April, 1902, he arrived in New Zealand to take up his present charge. Mr. Rogers is married to a daughter of Dr Shephered, of Clifton, Bristol, and has a family of one son and four daughters. Mrs Rogers was an art student of repute in the Old Country, and exhibited at the Exhibition for Water Colours, London, and also at the Dudley Gallery. Since her arrival in New Zealand, she has exhibited at the Canterbury Society of Arts, in Christchurch.

The Sheffield Town Hall is a large building, erected on modern lines, and situated in the centre of the township. It was built by the late Mr. T. C. Hickson, in 1901, and for size, convenience, and general appearance, it may be described as one of the best town halls in the country districts of Canterbury. There is a raised stage, and the body of the hall has seating accommodation for about 400 persons. Cloak and dressing rooms for ladies and gentlemen adjoin the main hall, and there is also a large supper room. The local public meetings, concerts, and dances are held in the building, and travelling theatrical companies also give entertainments there. The Sheffield Town Hall is the property of Mr. D. J. Mahar, proprietor of the Sheffield Hotel.

Cordial And Aerated Water Factory (Fred Cox, proprietor), Sheffield. This prosperous business was started by the late Mr. Henry Milsom in 1880, and bought by its present owner in 1885. The factory, one of the largest country businesses of its kind in Canterbury, supplies the district of Sheffield, Castle Hill, Darfield, Coalgate, Glentunnel, Hororata, Oxford, and Springfield. The output amounts to 1000 dozen bottles per month, and the cordials have a reputation for their purity and tone. The factory is supplied with the latest machinery, and the water is obtained from a depth of thirty feet, and is thoroughly filtered before it is used.

Mr. Fred Cox is a son of the late Mr. William Cox, who was foreman engineer of the Great Eastern Railway, with which he was connected for over forty years. He was also a Freemason of high standing and a member of Lodge Garibaldi. Mr. Cox was born and educated in London, and came to Dunedin in 1877. In the following year he moved to Canterbury, and was for two years employed in the factory of the late Mr. H. Milsom at Christchurch, and afterwards went to the Ashburton branch. In 1885 Mr. Cox went to Sheffield to manage the Sheffield branch, which, owing to the death of Mr. Milsom, was then owned by his widow, from whom Mr. Cox afterwards bought it. Since settling at Sheffield, Mr. Cox has identified himself with the advancement of the place, and has always taken a keen interest in local and other sports. He is a shareholder in the Sheffield Saleyards Company. Mr. Cox married Miss Bartlett, and there is a family, of three sons and three daughters.

Mr. and Mrs F. Cox and Family.

The Sheffield Hotel is a commodious two-storied building, and stands near the railway station. It was erected in 1882, by Mr. Michael Flanagan, and subsequently passed through several hands. Mr. D. J. Mahar, the present proprietor, bought the property in June, 1902, and since that date it has been conducted as a first-class country hotel. The bedrooms and sitting rooms are clean, comfortable, and well furnished, and the bath is provided with hot and cold water. Wines and spirits of the best quality are served, and a good table is kept. The billiard room contains a full-sized modern table. There is ample stable accommodation, and there are also paddocks for travelling sheep. Sheffield is a noted health resort, and visitors may depend upon receiving every kindness and attention from Mr. and Mrs Mahar.

Mr. Dennis John Mahar, Proprietor of the Sheffield Hotel, is a son of Mr. Daniel Mahar, draper, of Lyttelton. He was born at Pendalton, near Manchester, and was brought out by his parents as a child, in the ship “Duke of Edinburgh,” which arrived at Wellington in 1871. The family went to the West Coast, and six months later removed to Lyttelton, where Mr. Mahar, senior, started in the drapery business, which he has since successfully conducted. For sixteen years Mr. D. J. Mahar was engaged in his father's business, and during that time he became president of the Lyttelton Young Men's Club, and was connected with rowing and other clubs. In 1898 he took over the Harewood Arms Hotel, at Oxford, which he conducted for four years, when he bought the Sheffield Hotel. Mr. Mahar married a daughter of Mr. William Rodgers, of Sydenham, and has a family of one son and two daughters.

Fleming, Robert George, Farmer, “The Willows,” Sheffield. Mr. Fleming is a nephew of Mr. Richard John Phillips Fleming, one of the leading pioneers of Banks' Peninsula. He came to New Zealand in 1856 by the ship “Isabella Hercus,” and joined his uncle at Port Levy, where he remained six years. On the breaking out of the Otago goldfields he went to Gabriel's Gully, but, not meeting the success he anticipated, he returned to Canterbury, and bought his present property, which then formed a portion of the original page 765 run of the Deans, of Riccarton. Mr. Fleming has never taken much part in local affairs, but was a member of the Waddington school committee for some years, and a member of the church vestry for six years. He was married at old St. Michael's church, by the late Dean Jacobs, in 1864, to Miss Murphy, and there has been a family of eight children, of whom six are now alive, and of these four are married.

Mr. and Mrs R. G. Fleming

Gemmell, John, Farmer, Sheffield. Mr. Gemmell is the eldest son of Mr. John Gemmell, of Dunsandel, who arrived in 1863, at Lyttelton, by the ship “Chariot of Fame.” He was born at Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, and came with his mother and brother, in the ship “Victory,” to join his father, who had previously arrived in Canterbury. The early part of his life was spent on his father's farm at Templeton and Dunsandel. On the breaking out of the Thames goldfields, Mr. Gemmell went there, and worked for about one year on the Thames and Te Aroha fields, with limited success. On returning to Canterbury, he devoted his attention to the more certain occupation of farming, and about 1896 leased his present farm, which consists of 170 acres, on which he conducts a system of mixed farming. Mr. Gemmell is a member of the Farmers' Union. He is married, and has a family of two sons and two daughters.

Pannett, William Fuller, Chailey Farm, Sheffield. Mr. Pannett is a son of the late Mr. T. A. Pannett, of Lincoln. He was born in Christchurch in 1856, educated at the Lincoln school, and brought up to farming in the Springston and Lincoln districts. In 1882, his father having retired, he carried on the farm at Springston until 1900, when he sold out, and purchased his present property. Chailey Farm, which formerly formed part of the Homebush run, comprises 336 acres of good agricultural land, which has all been under cultivation. It is named after a village in Sussex, the birthplace of Mr. Pannett's father. Mr. Pannett is chairman of the Malvern branch of the Farmers' Union, and he is a member of the Annat school committee. He has also served on the Springston school committee. For seventeen years he was a member of the Lincoln Baptist church, where he acted as deacon, and when he left the district he was presented with a handsome illuminated address by the adherents of the church. Mr. Pannett married a daughter of Mr. James Osborne, of Tai Tapu, and has a family of three sons and two daughters.

Mr. W. F. Pannett.

Mrs W. F. Pannett.

Mr. W. T. Popple, of Sheffield, was born in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in 1841, and educated at St. Peter's, York. He came to New Zealand in 1862 by the ship “Queen of the Mersey,” and entered the service of the Waterloo veteran, Lieutenant Dugald McFarlane. Subsequently he went to the Nelson diggings, and was settled for some time at Collingwood. In 1865 he tried his luck also on the West Coast, where he worked for a number of years. He then returned to Canterbury, and settled first at Christchurch, but went to Sheffield in 1871. Mr. Popple is clerk to three road boards—namely, Malvern South Malvern, and East Malvern, and he is also secretary to the Sheffield Saleyards Company. He was married, in 1871, to Miss Leigh, and has two sons and six daughters.

Willis, George Reynolds, Farmer, Sheffield. Mr. Willis is the son of the late Mr. George Willis. He was born at Riccarton in 1852, and brought up on his father's farm. When a child he removed with his parents to the Malvern district, where he has resided since about 1864. He farms a property near the township, and has the reputation of being one of the best farmers in the district. Mr. Willis was for some years a member of the East Malvern Road Board, of which he was for some years chairman. He also served on the local school committee, and is at present chairman of the Sheffield Domain Board. As a Freemason he was initiated in the Malvern Lodge, No. 1919, English Constitution, and might be termed the father of the Order of Oddfellows in the district. Mr. Willis married Miss Armstrong, a Scottish lady, who arrived in New Zealand in 1874. Of this union there is a family of four sons and four daughters.

Mr. John Brown, sometime timber merchant at Sheffield, was born in Norfolk, England, in 1830, where he was apprenticed as a mechanic. He came to Christchurch in 1851, and worked as a carpenter for some years. In 1855, he built the first combine in New Zealand, with which he performed the first steam-threshing in Canterbury, and threshed oats from the site of the City Hotel, Christchurch. He obtained as high as £2 10s. per acre for cutting wheat. Prices then ruled high for all commodities, corn selling at twelve shillings per bushel, legs of mutton at 9s. 6d. each, the 4-lb. loaf at eighteen-pence, and cattle in the same proportion, calves fetching as high as six pounds. Mr. Brown caught the goldfever and went to Gabriel's Gully, where he only got frostbitten, and quitted the goldfields. Returning to Canterbury he resumed his trade. Among other buildings that he erected were the Prince of Wales Hotel, also the hotel at Cass, and Porter's Pass Hotel on the West Coast road. The difficulty of travelling up-country was great then, as there were no roads or bridges. One of his party was drowned in crossing the Waimakariri river, others escaping the same fate by hanging on to their horses' tails. About this time he visited the West Coast, where he worked at his trade for four years. He was sworn in as a special constable, during the faction riots there. Returning to Malvern he carried on his trade, and built the second bridge over the Hawkins, and the Bealey Gorge bridge in 1876. Finally, he established his timber yards at Sheffield in 1874. He was one of the school committee. He was married in 1855 to Miss Jeffreys, and had five sons, two daughters, and eighteen grand-children. Mr. Brown died at Sheffield in the middle of January, 1902.

The Late Mr. J. Brown

Mr. John Jebson, sometime of Sheffield, was born on the 1st of January, 1819, at Flockton, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, and went to work in the coal mines, when he was five years old, for four-pence a day. He attended night school and acquired a fair share of education, soon rising above his fellows. Ultimately he became a mining engineer, and received appointments as mine manager in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and acted in that capacity for many years, during which period he successfully sank several shafts. He came to New Zealand in 1862 in the ship “Zealandia,” Captain Foster, and is said to have bored the first artesian well in the Colony. Mr. Jebson supervised the construction of the telegraph between Lyttelton and Christchurch, and erected the first telegraph line to the West Coast, Greymouth, and Hokitika. He brought the first team of horses to Sheffield, which cost £100 in Christchurch, and were purchased for the Kowai Coal Mining Company, which held three mining leases in the district. Mr. Jebson was appointed manager to the company, and under his directions, a bore was put down which stuck coal, which is still being worked. When the company surrendered its lease, he took it up and worked the mine for twenty years. He cultivated the first crop of oats in the district, and carried on agricultural and pastoral farming on the reserves. Mr. Jebson was the first chairman of the East Malvern Road Board, and was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council during 1874–6. He was on the school committee, of which he was chairman for ten years, and was the promoter of the first Methodist church in the district, in which he was local preacher for many years. He was married in England in 1839 to Miss Haigh, who died in 1886, leaving six sons and three daughters. Mr. Jebson survived his wife by about fourteen years.

The late Mr. J. Jebson.

Mr. Thomas Avis Pannett, who arrived at Lyttelton, by the ship “Lady Nugent,” in 1851, was born at Lewes, Sussex, England, in 1811, and was brought up as a farmer. His first engagement in Canterbury was on Mr. John Deans' estate at Riccarton. Subsequently he worked near the Ferry Road, Christchurch for a year or two, and then returned to Riccarton, where he remained for seven years. In 1863 Mr. Pannett took up a farm at Springston, which he carried on successfully until 1882. From that date until the time of his death, seven years later, he lived in retirement at Lincoln. Mr. Pannett was preminently identified with public affairs, and served as a member of the Springs Road Board, and the Lincoln school committee, and was for some time chairman of the road board. He left a widow, and a surviving family of nine children. Mrs Pannett died in 1898.

Mr. George Willis, one of the first settlers at Sheffield, was born at Whitchouch, in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1810, and was brought up to farming. He came out to New Zealand in the ship “Cressy,” which arrived at Lyttelton in 1850. Mr. Willis went to Akaroa for a short period, and then took course. In 1864 he went to Springfield, where he built the first accommodation house on the West Coast road. A few years later he removed to Sheffield, then known as Little Racecourse Hill, and erected an accommodation page 767 house, which was a stopping place for Cobb and Co.'s coaches. In 1875, the railway having been opened as far as Sheffield, Mr. Willis built a new hotel in the township, to which the license was transferred. This building is now used as the Anglican parsonage. Having leased the hotel to a tenant, Mr. Willis retired to the old house, where he carried on farming up to the time of his death in 1890. He was a member of the East Malvern Road Board, and of the Waddington Cemetery Board. Mr. Willis left a widow, and a surviving family of eight children. His widow died in September, 1902.

The late Mr. G. Willis.

The late Mrs. G. Willis.