Blackmore, Thomas Davy, Farmer, Kaiapoi, Mr. Blackmore was born in Devonshire, England, in 1844, and came to New Zealand in the ship “Castle Eden,” in 1851. He lived with his parents at Papanui and page 434 at Ohoka, and worked on different farms until he started for himself on Kaiapoi Island, where he purchased some property, worked with great energy, and built himself a home. Since then he has taken up additional land, and is now farming about 350 acres altogether. He is a strong prohibitionist, and has been a member of the Temperance lodge for thirty years. Mr. Blackmore was married in 1875, and has a family of three sons and four daughters.

Mr. T. D. Blackmore.

Bowring, James, Farmer, Clarkville Road, Kaiapoi. Mr. Bowring was born in 1850 in Dorsetshire, England, where he was brought up to country life. He came to Lyttelton by the ship “Eastern Monarch” in 1874, when the settled at Kaiapoi, where for some time he had a market garden. In 1899 he leased the forty acre farm on which he has since resided. Mr. Bowring was married, in 1879, to a daughter of Mr. R. Jury, of Kaiapoi, and has two daughters and six sons.

Busby, William, Farmer, Kaiapoi. Mr. Busby was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1851, and has always followed an outdoor life. He arrived in Lyttelton by the ship “Waimate” in January, 1875, and settled in the Kaiapoi district. In July of the following year, he leased his property (which is forty-four acres in extent) on the North Road, and has since carried on mixed farming. Mr. Busby's father, who died in April, 1902, was a clever ploughman, and was for many years employed by the celebrated firm of the Howards of Bedford. He ploughed in almost every county in England, giving trials of the firm's well-known ploughs, and took many championprizes at Royal shows. During the life of the late Prince Consort, Mr. Busby, senior, was sent to the Isle of Wight, to start a plough, which had been purchased from his firm by the Prince. Mr. W. Busby has followed in his father's footsteps, and has been a successful competitor at ploughing matches in Canterbury, under the auspices of the local clubs. He has won medals, a silver cup, and champion prizes in various parts of the district, and has gained as many as five prizes in a single day. Mr. Busby was married, in May, 1881, to a daughter of Mr. J. Burridge, of Petone, and has three sons and two daughters.

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs W. Busby.

Edwards, George, Farmer, “Okair Farm,” Kaiapoi. Mr. Edwards was born in Beeford, Yorkshire, in the “thirties,” and came to Lyttelton in the “Sir Edward Paget” in 1856, and went shearing at the Tolias station, and afterwards was engaged in bush work for some time. He began farming on Kaiapoi Island in conjunction with Mr. Pashby, and suffered severe loss in the flood six years later. The firm entered into reaping and threshing contracts, and owned the first reaping machine and the second horse threshing machine in North Canterbury. The partnership existed for over fifteen years, but was dissolved when Mr. Edwards settled down at Okair Farm. Mr. Edwards has since added to the property, and has now about 910 acres of land, which he has improved and carried on chiefly as a grazing farm. He has been a member of the Rangiora Road Board for fifteen years. Mr. Edwards was married in 1866, and has five daughters and four sons.

Mr G. Edwards.

Holland, James, Farmer, “Bloomdale Farm,” Kaiapoi. Mr. Holland is fourth son of Mr. Robert Holland, County Down, Ireland, and was born in 1842. He was educated at Clare School, County Down, and remained with his father, assisting him on his farm, until the latter's death in 1862. He came out to the Colony per ship “Mermaid” in 1868. Soon after his arrival in Lyttelton, he entered the employment of the late Mr. Marmaduke Dixon, of Irwell, Eyreton, remaining in his service until 1873 when he entered into partnership with his brother Samuel in possession of “Ivy Farm,” Kaiapoi Island. He sold out his interest to his brother and bought a farm at Ohoka, which he sold to Mr. Pays, and purchased “Bloomdale,” where he now resides. This farm contains about fifty acres of good arable land, part of which is annually under crop and the balance used for dairying purposes. He joined the Druids in 1879, and was chairman of the lodge in 1890. Mr. Holland was married in 1874 to the daughter of Mr. Jonathan Whallay, County Armagh, Ireland, and has five children.

Hudson, Henry, Farmer, Okair Farm, Kaiapoi. Mr. Hudson was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1847, and came to New Zealand in the ship “Sydenham,” about twenty-eight years ago. He landed at Auckland, and was first engaged with Mr. Porter at his store at Miranda, near the Thames, and afterwards with Mr. Dodd. Eventually he came down to Longbeach and worked for Mr. Grigg for about four years. He started the first store at Waterton, near Longbeach, and kept it for six years. Desiring an occupation more congenial to his taste, he went farming in the Wakanui and Halswell districts, and finally settled at Okair farm, Kaiapoi. This farm consists of 200 acres of cuitivated and grazing land, and adjoins Mr Edward's farm, which bears the same name. In 1878 Mr. Hudson married Miss Dawson, daughter of Mr. Andrew Dawson, Waterton. There is no offspring of the marriage.

Mr. and Mrs H. Hudson.

O'Neill, Patrick, Farmer, Clongain Farm, Camside, Kaiapoi. Mr. O'Neill was born on the 17th of March, 1838, in County Carlow, Ireland, and was the eldest son of John and Mary O'Neill, of that county. Mr. O'Neill was managing his father's estate before coming to the colony; he was also as accomplished ploughman, and won a gold cup twice in succession for his ploughing. He left his native land in 1863, in the ship “Accrington,” and arrived in Lyttelton on the 10th of September the same year. Mr. O'Neill had two years of experience in the colony before selecting where to settle; then in 1868, he took up a parcel of land near Kaiapoi in the Church Bush, and started to convert what was then little better than a wilderness into his home which he named after the place where he was born, “Clongain.” Mr. O'Neill was married, in the year 1874, to Miss McDermott, of County Carlow, Ireland. She died in 1884, leaving him with one son and four daughters. He was married a second time, to Miss McDrury, the eldest daughter of Mr. Patrick McDrury, of Roscommon, Ireland.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Mr. and Mrs P. O'Neill.

Penwell, Henry, Farmer, “Helmwood,” Kaiapoi. Mr. Penwell was born in Devonshire, England, in 1839, and was brought up to country life. He arrived at Nelson in 1861, by the ship “Waterlily,” on which he came out as a sailor. Mr. Penwell found employment for a few years at road making in the Woodend district, and afterwards settled at Rangiora, where he engaged in farming for about fifteen years. He has been a settler in the Kaiapoi district for a long time. Mr. Penwell leases “Helmwood,” which is 180 acres in extent, and has worked the property as a dairy and agricultural farm since 1896. He was married in 1869 to a daughter of Mr. J. Coatman, of Woodend, and has seven sons and three daughters. Mrs Penwell came to New Zealand in 1859 by the ship “Clontarf.”

Tolputt and Clarke, photo.
Mr. and Mrs H. Penwell.