Bassett, W. J., Farmer, “Meadowbank,” St. Andrews. Mr. Bassett was born in 1861 in Downpatrick, Ireland, and was educated in his native land and in New Zealand, where he arrived in the ship “Blairgowrie” in 1875. Mr. Bassett was for two years engaged in business in Christchurch, and afterwards bought “Stormont,” which was originally part of the Woodstock run, in the View Hill district, North Canterbury. The property contains 1144 acres freehold, and 240 acres leasehold, and the permanent improvements include a fine dwelling-house of ten rooms, large and convenient outbuildings, garden and orchard sheltered by a well-grown plantation. It is fenced and subdivided with twenty-two miles of fencing, is well watered by natural springs and creeks and has produced good crops of turnips and rape. A large number of crossbred sheep and lambs are reared and fattened. Mr. Bassett afterwards bought “Meadowbank,” near St. Andrews, where he now resides. He was married in 1886 to Miss Gilchrist, and has two sons and two daughters.

Mr. and Mrs W. J. Bassett.

Forrest, James, Farmer, Thornybank Farm, St. Andrews, Mr. Forrest is the eldest son of the late Mr. Forrest, of Messrs Forrest and Geddes, who was an old and respected colonist of South Canterbury. Mr. James Forrest was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1861, and came to New Zealand with his family in the ship “Royal Stuart,” the same year. He was brought up in Waimate, and followed agriculture with his father. In 1883 he took up a farm at Waituna, near Waimate, where he remained for eleven years. He then bought a small farm at Studholme, and in 1899 took over his present property, which formerly belonged to his father. This farm comprises 320 acres, and Mr. Forrest works it in conjunction with his place at Studholme. The wheat crops average thirty bushels per acre, and the oats often yield sixty bushels. Mr. Forrest was married, in 1883, to Miss Alice Brinkmann, daughter of the late Mr. Brinkmann, of Waimate, and they have two sons and one daughter.

The late Mr. and Mrs W. Forrest.

See page 1042.
Mr. and Mrs J. Forrest.

Morris, George Austin, Farmer, Fairview Farm, St. Andrews. Mr. Morris was born in Hampshire, England, in 1848, page 1043 and came to the colony with his parents in the ship “Zealandia,” in 1865. His father took a farm near Fendalton, and worked it for three years, when he went to Leeston and bought land there. Mr. Morris stayed with his parents until 1873, when he bought his present farm, which is situated twelve miles from St. Andrews, where he has since resided. The farm comprises 268 acres. There were no roads in the district when Mr. Morris took up his land, and he drove his dray overland from Leeston, which was no easy task in those days. Nearly all the farm has been cultivated, and the wheat crops average thirty bushels per acre, and oats sixty bushels. Mr. Morris was chairman of the Upper Otaio school committee for five years, was for three years on the managing committee of the Waimate Hunt Club, and has also been a member of the St. Andrews Court of Foresters. He was married, in 1873, and has seven sons and two daughters. Mrs Morris, daughter of the late Mr. Daniel McGregor, an old colonist, was brought out when a child, in 1854, in the ship “Merchantman,” in which Governor Gore Browne came to the colony. Her parents bought a farm at Cashmere, near Christchurch, and named it “Happy Home,” which is still the property of Mrs Morris and her two sisters. Mrs Morris was educated in Lincoln road by Mrs Percival, mother of Sir Westby Percival. Mr. McGregor afterwards bought a farm of 500 acres at the Selwyn, where Mrs Morris lived until 1873, when she married Mr. Morris and went to reside at Fairview Farm with him.

Mr. and Mrs D. G. A. Morris.

Mr. and Mrs D. Stowell. Ferrier, photo.
Mr. and Mrs G. A. Morris.

Savage, Frederick, Farmer, “Cloverlea,” St. Andrews. Mr. Savage was born at Ashford, near London, on the 14th of January, 1853, and accompanied his parents to Port Chalmers by the ship “Derwentwater” in 1881. The family settled at Dunedin, and Mr. Savage was brought up to a country life at Blueskin. Afterwards he had a small farm, and was contracting in the Oamaru district for about twenty-five years. Having sold out his property, in April, 1900, he acquired 247 acres, which he holds under a lease in perpetuity, at St. Andrews. Mr. Savage was a member of the Pukeuri school committee in the Oamaru district, and since removing to St. Andrews he has served on the Lyalldale school committee. He was married, in June, 1882, to a daughter of the late Mr. W. S. Baker, of Colchester, England, and has three daughters and one son.

Stowell, David, J.P., Farmer, “Brompton,” St. Andrews. Mr. Stowell was born in Essex, England, in 1849. His early life was spent on farms in Essex and Hertfordshire. At the age of sixteen he went to work in a foundry at Maldon, where he stayed for twelve months. Thence he went to London, and was employed in the wholesale and retail fruit trade for nearly two years. He then was employed for over two years in the Model Dairy, South Kensington, and came to New Zealand in the ship “Ramsay,” landing at Lyttelton in June, 1870. Mr. Stowell worked on a farm at Rolleston for a short time, and then travelled through North Canterbury and the provinces of Nelson and Marlborough, and back to South Canterbury. In 1871, he was employed fencing on the Pareora estate. The following year he page 1044 went to the Bluecliffs estate, where he remained till 1874. He then bought a small farm at Otaio, but sold it in 1878, and took up the farm where he now resides. In addition to working this farm, Mr. Stowell rented 450 acres at Otaio. The Brompton farm is one of the most fertile in the district; the wheat crop has yielded eighty bushels per acre, and oats as high as 116 1/2 bushels per acre. Mr. Stowell has taken an active interest in all local matters affecting the district. He was a member of the first school committee at Upper Otaio; he was the first chairman of St. Andrews school committee in 1880, and is the present chairman. Mr. Stowell was one of the founders of the St. Andrews public library, and was president for a number of years. He is chairman of the St. Andrews Domain Board, and was instrumental in procuring the property. Mr. Stowell was also for six years a member of the Pareora Licensing Committee. He is president of the St. Andrews Recreation Club, vice-president of the St. Andrews Debating Society, chairman of the Pareora water-race committee, Chief Ranger (for the second time) of the South Canterbury District Ancient Order of Foresters, of which he has been a member since 1868, and is a member of the Masonic Lodge St. John, E.C. In 1874, Mr. Stowell married Miss Elizabeth Sarah Day, of Somersetshire, England, and has had a family of seven sons and four daughters.

Tooley, William, Farmer, Tooley's Field, St. Andrews. Mr. Tooley was born in Norfolk, England, in 1846, and came to Port Chalmers in the ship “Nourmahal” in 1858. After spending three months in Dunedin he went to Oamaru, where for over six years he worked for the late Mr. Teschemacher, and he was then for thirty-one years shepherding for the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. In the early days Mr. Tooley had to hunt wild pigs for rations, and on one occasion one of his companions lost his life in the hunt and was devoured by the pigs. Mr. Tooley took up his present property in 1895, and he has also sixty acres in the Levels riding. He keeps a market garden and dairy factory, with which he supplies the local demand. Mr. Tooley has been a member of the St. Andrews school committee, and is sub-chief ranger of the St. Andrews Foresters' Lodge. In 1877 he married Miss M. A. Ely, who was born in England, and they have four sons and three daughters.

Mr. W. Tooley.

Williams, Arthur Cuthbert, Farmer, “Charlecombe,” St. Andrews. “Charlecombe” is the new name of the old homestead of the Pareora estate, 600 acres of which has been acquired by Mr. Williams, under the perpetual lease system. Mr. Williams was born in Somersetshire, England, in 1843. At the age of fifteen he entered her Majesty's Indian Navy, and served for about three years. After a year in England he came to Lyttelton by the ship “Derwentwater,” in 1864. He had five years' experience as a cadet at Lake Colerdige, and was farming at Southbridge until May, 1901, when he sold out his property in that district and settled at “Charlecombe.” Mr. Williams was married, in 1881, to a daughter of the late Mr. Edward James Lee, of Southbridge, and has four sons and four daughters.

Rae, James, Threshing and Traction Engine Proprietor, St. Andrews. Mr. Rae was born in January, 1875, at Geraldine, and was educated and brought up to country life at Woodbury. He had seven years' experience in a mill, and became a millowner on his own account at St. Andrews in 1900. Mr. Rae has a complete threshing and chaff-cutting plant, with a traction engine, and undertakes work throughout the district. He also farms forty-six acres of land, held under a lease in perpetuity. Mr. Rae was married, in 1901, to a daughter of the late Mr. Andrew Reid, of Geraldine, and has one son.