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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Old Colonists

Old Colonists.

Mr. James Blyth, J.P., was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1837, and served an apprenticeship to the building trade. He came to Timaru by the “Strathallan,” in 1859, and followed his trade until 1861, when he tried, his fortune on the Otago goldfields. Returning to Timaru, he carried on business as a builder for some years, and settled in Temuka in 1872. In 1880 he commenced business as a timber, coal, and iron mer chant. His premises occupy an acre and a-half of ground in Wood Street, where he also has a large grain store. Mr. Blyth is district agent for the National Insurance Company. He has taken a leading part in all movements for the welfare of the district, and was associated with the Temuka Pioneers' Memorial, which was erected in commemoration of the Record Reign, and was unveiled by Mrs. Blyth on the 16th of December, 1897. He was made a Justice of the Peace in 1897. Mr. Blyth is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the Alexandrovna Lodge of Oddfellows, American order, in which he has occupied all the chairs and has been for years treasurer of of the lodge. He was one of the first members of the Temuka Town Board, of which he was chairman from 1890 to 1894. Mr. Blyth was married in 1862 to the eldest daughter of Mr. Thos. Dunn, of “The Stumps” farm, Orari, and has three sons and three daughters.

Mr. J. Blyth.

Mr. J. Blyth.

Mr. David Findlay, of Camperdown cottage, Temuka, was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, in 1825, and came to New Zealand by the ship “Mermaid” in 1862. His first employment in the colony consisted in driving. for the late Mr. Robert Wilkin, a mob of 6000 sheep, from Cheviot to Lake Wanaka. After working for a while in the Akaroa bush, he joined in the rush to the Otago goldfields, with unsatisfactory results. On returning to Canterbury he remained in the Temuka district, and was for a considerable time engaged in fencing on the stations of Messrs Nelson and Moorhouse, and of Mr. Tripp. In 1860 he started farming on 100 acres in the Kakahu district. By degrees he increased his area to 300 acres, and farmed successfully until he retired in 1889. At first he leased his land to a tenant, but afterwards sold the freehold. Since then he has lived in retirement at Temuka, where he devotes most of his time to the peaceful pleasures of trout fishing. Before leaving Scotland Mr. Findlay married Miss Margaret Mitchell, and there is a family of one son and two daughters, all married.

Mr. and Mrs D. Findlay.

Mr. and Mrs D. Findlay.

Mr. George McSheehy Gentlemun, Old Colonist, was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1839, and brought up to the saddlery trade. In 1862, he sailed from page 915 Liverpool to Melbourne in the ship “Donald McKay.” Shortly after his arrival in Victoria he crossed to New Zealand, and was on the Otago goldfields at the time of the big snow storm, when many lost their lives. Mr. Gentlemun afterwards obtained employment at his trade in Christchurch, and remained there for eight years. While in Christchurch, he joined the Volunteer Company of Engineers, and was engaged at the “battle” of Hillsborough, where ten men were wounded. In 1871 he was shipwrecked in the s.s. “Ahuriri,” off Wakatipu Head, when everything on board was lost, but all hands were saved. In 1873, he went to Temuka, where he started in business as a saddler, and continued until 1893, when he was compelled to retire through ill-health. Mr. Gentlemun, in 1874, joined the Tamuka Fire Brigade, of which he is now lieutenant, and at a banquet held on the 16th of March 1900, he was presented by the Deputy-Mayor with the Fire Brigades' Association long service gold star for twenty-five years of continuous service. He has been all over New Zealand as a delegate for the Temuka brigade. Mr. Gentlemun is a member of the Alexandrovna Lodge of Oddfellows, American Order, and was one of the committee appointed to erect the Pioneers' Memorial in Victoria Park, Temuka.

Mr. John Hay, sometime of Temuka, was the son of Mr. James Hay of Symington, Scotland, and was born on the 26th of May, 1822, at Symington. He came out to New Zealand in 1841 at the age of nineteen in the ship “Mandarin.” owned by his uncle, Mr. James Raeburn, of Glasgow. At first he settled at the Hutt, near where that suburb of Wellington subsequently grew up, and where he joined his uncle, Mr. Ebenezer Hay, who had come out to New Zealand in February, 1840. In the end of 1842, Captain Sinclair and the Hays set out in a vessel of their own to explore the South Island. They sailed as far south as Dunedin, and finally decided to settle at Pigeon Bay, Banks' Peninsula, which was then inhabited only by Maoris. The land in those days was covered with dense bush abounding with pigeons, hence the name given to the place; but the settlers at once set about clearing the bush and erecting buildings. They also chartered a vessel for intercolonial trading, exporting potatoes and dairy produce to Melbourne, and bringing back live stock and goods in exchange. When the Canterbury pilgrims arrived in the “first four ships” in 1851, these early pioneers saw them sail past the mouth of the bay bound for Lyttelton. At this time, which is generally looked upon as being the dawn of Canterbury history, the Hays were already old settlers and had surrounded themselves with many of the comforts of civilization in the beautiful spot which they had made their home. With the spirit of enterprise which characterized the early settlers, they had taken up a pastoral run in the Mackenzie country, which Mr. John Hay had explored in 1856. Meanwhile Mr. John Hay revisited Scotland and was married in 1858, and he and Mrs. Hay settled down in their married life together at Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie country, where Mr. Hay had taken up the Lake Tekapo run. The Mackenzie country was then a terra incognita, and Mrs. Hay was the first lady to penetrate beyond Burke's Pass. Mr. and Mrs. John Hay remained at Lake Tekapo until 1866, their station-house, built on a small peninsula running out into the lake, being a well-known halting place in the early days, where hospitality was always to be found. In 1866, Mr. Hay sold his run and took up his residence at Kakahu, near Temuka, having purchased a freehold property there a few years previously. There he resided until his death on the 20th of October, 1891. His wife did not long survive him, dying on 21st of February, 1894. Their family consists of one son, who resides at Kakahu, and four daughters.

Mr. John Maze was born in the North of Ireland in 1838, and was brought up to farming pursuits by his father. He came to Lyttelton in 1863 in the ship “Huntress,” and was on Major Hornbrook's station for twelve months. On his brother's arrival from Australia, they entered into partnership in a farm at Milford. When the partnership was dissolved, Mr. J. Maze retained 130 acres of the property. He takes an interest in public affairs. In 1897 he was elected a member of the Temuka Road Board. He was for many years a member of the Milford school committee; is a prominent member of the Temuka Caledonian Society and one of the judges at the sports, and is also a member of the Temuka Athletic Club. Mr. Maze married Miss Brown, daughter of Mr. Francis Brown, a very early settler, and has nine children.

Mr. J. Maze.

Mr. J. Maze.

Mr. Oswald Pagan McCallum, sometime of Temuka, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1839, and came to New Zealand in 1860, by the ship “Storm Cloud,” under an engagement with the late Mr. Robert Wilkin, of Christchurch, to be a shepherd on that gentleman's station at Lake Wanaka, Otago. He remained there several years, and was head shepherd during the latter part of his engagement. On the sale of the property by Mr. Wilkin to Messrs Holmes and Campbell, Mr. McCullum was appointed manager of the station, and held the position for seven years. Mr. McCallum came to Canterbury in
The late Mr. O. P. McCallum.

The late Mr. O. P. McCallum.

page 916 1872, and managed the Arowhenua estate for seven years for Messrs J. T. Ford and Co. About 1880 he began farming at Temuka, and continued so engaged until his death at “Hazelburn,” Totara Valley, the residence of his son-in-law, on the 10th of December, 1902. Mr. McCallum was married in Scotland. His wife, seven daughters and two sons survived him.

Mr. Julius Mendelson, sometime of Temuka, was one of the earliest settlers in the district. He was born in Poland in 1834. At the age of seventeen he went to England, and emigrated to Victoria in 1854, where he entered with the late Mr. J. L. Morris, into a partnership, which continued in Australia and New Zealand until 1879. In 1863 he visited his native land, and, returning to Australia in 1864, proceeded to New Zealand, whither his partner had already gone. They entered into store-keeping at Pleasant Valley, and afterwards at Temuka and Pleasant Point. The Pleasant Point branch was subsequently taken over by Mr. Morris, and the partner-ship dissolved. Mr. Mendelson retained the Temuka business and resided there, and afterwards opened branches at Geraldine and Ashburton, which were managed respectively by Mr. R. H. Pearpoint and Messrs. Friedlander Bros. He was instrumental in promoting the Royal Flour Mills at Timaru. For many years he was a member of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works, Temuka Road and Cemetery Boards, and at the time of his death, was a member of the Geraldine County Council and of the District High School Committee. He was also a Justice of the Peace. Mr. Mendelson left a widow and five children.

Unveiling of the Temuka Old Identities' Jubilee Memorial Obelisk.

Unveiling of the Temuka Old Identities' Jubilee Memorial Obelisk.

Mr. George McMillan, sometime of “The Stumps,” Temuka, was born in Inverness in 1865, and came out to Otago with his. parents, proceeding eight years later to South Canterbury. Mr. McMillan moved to Temuka in 1882, and spent some years with the late Mr. Andrew Grant, the well-known breeder and stock-dealer, and on the latter's death, commenced business on his own account. In addition to farming “The Stumps,” of 460 acres, he was interested in station property in the Mackenzie country, and was an extensive dealer in fat stock. Mr. McMillan was accidentally killed, at the level railway crossing, Temuka, on the Timaru shew night, 26th October, 1899.

The late Mr. J. Mendelson.

The late Mr. J. Mendelson.

Mr. Samuel McCullough, of Rangitira Valley Road, near Temuka, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1824. He came out to New Zealand in 1863 in the ship “Captain Cook,” and landed at Lyttelton. For some years he worked in the Selwyn county, and in 1868 he removed to Temuka and took up 110 acres, where he now resides. He has since increased this property to 280 acres For seventeen years he also farmed another property at Fairlie, but has since sold it. Mr. McCullough married Miss Sarah Clark, of County Down, page 917 Ireland, and they have a surviving family of one son and three daughters. In 1897, Mr. McCullough took a trip to the Old Country, where he re-visited the scenes of his boyhood.

Mr. Leonard Home Rooke, of Formosa Villa, Temuka, is a son of the late Captain Leonard Charles Rooke, R.N. He was born at Florence, in Italy, but received his education in England. In 1850 he came to Canterbury by the. ship “Sir George Seymour,” and resided at Christchurch until 1866. when he started farming at Washdyke, near Timaru. In 1875 he removed to Hilton, in the Geraldine district. Mr. Rooke gave up farming in 1895, and now lives in retirement at Temuka, where he devotes his leisure to horticulture; his collection of flowers is choice, numerous and various. He takes no part in local politics, but was a member of the Hilton school committee, whilst he lived in that district. Mr. Rooke served in the Royal Navy, but retired through ill-health, previous to his arrival in New Zealand. He married Miss Duffell, daughter of the late Mr. William Duffell, one of the pioneers, whom he accompanied to New Zealand in the ship “Cressy,” in 1850. There is a family of eight.

Mr. and Mrs L. H. Rooke.

Mr. and Mrs L. H. Rooke.

Mr. Daniel Seaton was born at the Pass of Killiecrankie, Perthshire, Scotland, in 1833, and came to New Zealand, in 1862, by the ship “Ellen Lee,” and landed at Dunedin. For about eighteen months he was engaged contracting on Bell Hill, Dunedin, and at the Bluff harbour. At the time of the West Coast rush in 1865, he went to the Greenstone, where he remained one year. After a year at Prebbleton, he removed to Waitohi, in 1867, and started farming on seventy-seven acres of unimproved land. He afterwards increased his area to 195 1/2 acres, all highly improved land. In 1891 Mr. Seaton retired from farming, and he and Mrs Seaton now live in retirement in Studholme Street, Temuka. He has never taken part in local politics, but has been a member of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Mr. Charles Story is a native of Yorkshire, England. He landed at Lyttelton, when a child, in 1864, and received his education at the hands of private tutors. He was subsequently engaged in various pursuits until 1878, when he purchased the liveray stables in Temuka. These he conducted till 1900, when he sold out to his brother, and retired from active life. He is a Freemason and a member of the Independent Order of Odd-follows; he was a member of the Arowhenua Town Board for two years, and has served also on the Temuka Borough Council. Mr. Story was married, in 1879, to Miss Digman, of Dublin, Ireland, and has three daughters and one son.

Ferrier, photo.Mr. C. Story.

Ferrier, photo.
Mr. C. Story.

Mr. Edwin Waddell, of “Templeton,” Temuka, was born in 1842 in Forfarshire, Scotland, and was educated in his native place and at Dundee. Arriving in Lyttelton by the ship “Motoaka” in 1860, he spent a year in Christchurch, and went to the Marlborough diggings, just before the raids of the Burgess-Levy gang. He was at Leeston for about two years, and removed to Temuka in 1866, when he purchased the farm known as “Templeton” which contains 103 acres. Mr. Waddell cultivated his farm until 1897, when he retired.