Aitken, John, Farmer, Smithfield, near Winchester. Mr. Aitken was born in London in 1843, and came to Lyttelton in 1868 by the ship “Blue Jacket.” After landing, he went to Timaru, under engagement to the late Mr. Elworthy, of Pareora station, where he was shepherding for seven years. He then leased, and afterwards bought his farm of 808 acres. The estate has been subdivided into paddocks, cleared, and cultivated, and is devoted to sheepfarming and wheat growing. Mr. Aitken has never held any public office, although he has always taken a great and active interest in the advancement of the district in which he has his home.

Budd, William, Farmer, Winchester. Mr. Budd, who has seen and been connected with the early development of South Canterbury, was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1843, and was brought up to farming. In 1863, he came out to New Zealand in the ship “Lancashire Witch,” and landed at Timaru. He worked for Mr. Rhodes at the Levels station during the shearing seasons, and purchased a small farm at Winchester in 1865, and gradually increased his holding. Though he has taken no active part in public affairs, Mr. Budd is well acquainted with the early history of Canterbury, and can recall many interesting occurrences of the old days. In 1889, he sold his farm and purchased another one of 313 acres, also at Winchester, and there he resides, and carries on mixed farming. Mr. Budd's first wife, whom he married in England in 1863, died in the Colony. He subsequently married Miss Mills, of Christchurch, and they have two sons and three daughters.

De Renzy, William, Farmer, “Hunnington,” Winchester. Mr. De Renzy was born at Carnew, County of Wicklow, Ireland, in 1837, and is the youngest son of the late Dr. Thomas De Renzy. He came to New Zealand by the ship “Egmont,” to Lyttelton, in 1856, and went as a cadet on the Hororata station for eighteen months. Afterwards he rented a run at Lake Ellesmere from Messrs Harman and Davie, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. G. Gordon. The partnership lasted for two years, but Mr. De Renzy carried on the run till 1863, and kept both cattle and sheep. He then visited the Old Country, and returned to New Zealand in 1871. After coming back he managed a farm at Selwyn for sometime. Then on the 20th of May, 1874, he went to Winchester and took charge of the “Hunnington Farm” of 1100 acres, and managed it for the Hon. Spencer George Lyttelton for twelve years, when he took the property over on lease, and is carrying it on with sheep farming and agriculture. Mr. De Renzy has been a page 893 member of the Winchester school committee for many years, and has also been its chairman. He has been W.M. of the Winchester Masonic Lodge on several occasions, and was a member of the Geraldine Road Board for twelve years. Mr. De Renzy has taken a great interest in fishing, and has a lot of rainbow trout in his ponds. The Waihi river runs through the property, and a distance of three miles would be covered by the angler who followed the bends of the stream from one end of the property to the other. Mr. De Renzy was married, in 1881, to a daughter of Major Young, of Winchester, and has a family of eight.

Mr. W. De Renzy.

A Bushman's Hut.

Lewis, Joseph, Farmer, “Blannant,” Geraldine Road, Winchester. Mr. Lewis was born in Glamorganshire, South Wales, England, in 1831, and was brought up to farming. He came to New Zealand in 1862 by the ship “Echunga,” landed at Timaru, and worked at Temuka for the late Mr. John Hay, hurst for some time, after which he went into the bush, contracting and pit sawing. Later on he bought twenty acres of land on the Geraldine Road, and took to farming and contract work. Now he has a compact freehold farm of about 300 acres, and keeps sheep and cattle. He occasionally keeps a stud flock. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Geraldine Flat school committee, and was also one of the first to go on the school committee when the Winchester school was opened. He was married in the Old Country, and has a family of eight.

Mr. J. Lewis.
Ferrier, photo

Prattley, Frederick, Farmer, Winchester. Mr. Prattley was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1843, and was brought up to farming. In 1873, he came out to New Zealand in the ship “Crusader,” and landed at Lyttelton. Thence he went to Temuka, where three years later he leased a farm from Mr. Hayhurst, and remained there for twelve years. In 1888 he took up a farm, near Temuka, where he has since resided. Mr. Prattley was married in the Old Country, but his wife died in New Zealand, leaving him a family of four sons and one daughter. In 1895, he married Miss Elizabeth Simmons, of Oxfordshire, England, and there is one child of this marriage.

Shaw, Alexander, Farmer, “Greenvale Farm,” Winchester. Mr. Shaw is the fourth son of Mr. David Shaw, of Geraldine Flat, and was born at Winchester, and educated at the public school. He was brought up to farming by his father, and in 1896 purchased his present farm from Mr. Alexander Clyne; its area is ninety-five acres of the best soil in the district. He has also a farm of 975 acres at Rangitata. Mr. Shaw was married to Annie, youngest daughter of Mr. Archibald Mahan, schoolmaster, of Geraldine Flat.

Mr. and Mrs A. Shaw.

Young, Francis Michael, Farmer, “Brookfield,” Winchester. Mr. Young was born in 1854 at Haverford West, Wales, and came with his parents to New Zealand in 1863. Mr. Young, senior, went to Heathcote for six years, but moved thence to Winchester, and took up land at Waitohi Flat, where he died in 1892. Mr. F. M. Young purchased “Brookfield” in 1890, and has cultivated the land ever since. In addition to general farming, he is a breeder of a pure strain of English Leicester sheep. He married Miss Elizabeth Josling, daughter of the late Mr. John Josling, of Rangiora, who was one of the early settlers who came out in the “first four ships.”

Smith, Robert, Farmer, Wool Scourer, Fellmonger, and Flax Miller, Smithfield, Winchester. Mr. Smith was born at Halswell, near Christchurch, in 1853. His father, the late Mr. Robert Evans Smith, was manager of the Mount Peel station, and subsequently leased, from the late Mr. Tripp, Orari Gorge station, where he was for five years, when he took up the Smithfield farm, near Winchester. The subject of this sketch was educated at the High School, Christchurch, and was apprenticed to the wheelwright and millwright trade with Messrs John Anderson and Sons, of Christchurch. On completing his time he went to Winchester, where he was for ten years in business as a wheelwright. He afterwards established wool-scouring works at Smithfield, and the flax-mill was added later. In 1890, he went for a trip to England with his wife, to whom he was married in 1878, and who was a daughter of the late Mr. John Gibbs Hart, a very early settler of Rangiora. On returning the following year, Mr. Smith, in addition to his other vocations, entered into farming pursuits on his farm of 900 acres. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and an active adherent of the Church of England, and was for a term a member of the Temuka Road Board. His brother-in-law, Mr. Thomas Lawson Hart, is a partner in his wool-scouring business.

Smithfield Wool Works.