Hope is prettily situated in the Waimea Plains, on the river whose name it bears, and is about ten miles southward by rail from Nelson. The land is chiefly flat, and suitable for cropping purposes. Hope has a post and telegraph office, a railway siding, and a Methodist church, where services are conducted every Sunday evening. Some of the earliest arrivals in the province took up land at Hope, and became successful colonists.

Bell, Miss Elizabeth, Settler, Hope. Miss Bell is the youngest daughter of the late Mr. William Gordon Bell, who was one of the earliest pioneers in New Zealand. He was a native of Dumfries, Scotland, and while a young man he emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1839, and had for one of his fellow passengers Mr. William Robinson, who afterwards became well-known in New Zealand as the owner of Cheviot estate and a member of the Legislative Council. Finding that Australia was subject to droughts, Mr. Bell came on to New Zealand, and landed at Wellington in 1840. He had with him a large stock of agricultural implements, which he had brought out from the Old Country, and as he was also a practical farmer, he was able to do good work in connection with the infant settlement. He lived both at Petone and at Berahampore, in Wellington, but afterwards went to Wanganui, where he was settled during the trouble which occurred in that district with the Maoris over the second payment for land to the natives by the New Zealand Company. Out of revenge for delay in this payment the Maoris massacred a family named Gilfillan, who were living only a short distance away from Mr. Bell's family. Things were in such an unsatisfactory state that Mr. Bell and other settlers had to leave that part of the country. Nelson then became the scene of Mr. Bell's labours, and there he was well known and respected by all who knew him. Mrs Bell was a daughter of Monsieur Savaut, naval surgeon, a native of France, who was killed whilst fighting at Trafalgar with Lord Nelson. Of a family of two sons and three daughters, Miss Elizabeth Bell is the youngest daughter now living, and she superintends the family estate of one hundred acres of flat land in the district of Hope.

Palmer, Richard, Farmer, Hope, Mr. Palmer was born at Hope, Nelson, and is a son of the late Mr. Jobe Palmer, who came out in the ship “Phœbe,” in 1842, and always took great interest in the local affairs of his district. Mr. R. Palmer has always followed farming pursuits, and has a farm of 400 acres, which he works on the most advanced principles of modern agriculture. Mr. Palmer is a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity; and at various times served on the school committee.

Mr. William Eden , sometime of Hope, was the second son of Mr. Richard Eden, who came out from the Old Country in the ship “Phœbe,” in 1842, and after an active and useful life, died in 1885. Mr. W. Eden was born in 1849 at Hope, and after leaving school, he decided to follow farming He had a farm of 162 acres, adapted to both grazing and agriculture. Mr. Eden served on the local school committee, and was a member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society. He married, and had eleven children; and died in December, 1899.

The Late Mr. W. Eden.

Mr. J. D. Kelly , sometime of Hope, had a very fine property about nine miles from Nelson, comprising five acres of excellent land, together with a substantially built eight-roomed house, containing bathroom and all accessories. The outbuildings included a four-stalled stable coach-house, dairy and fowl houses and a large barn. Mr. Kelly had an abundant supply of good water on the property, and the orchard of half an acre was well stocked with the best variety of fruit trees. Mr. Kelly died in the year 1901.

The Late Mr. J. D. Kelly.

Mr. Robert Kidd , sometime of Hope, Nelson, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1834, and came to New Zealand at the age of twenty. For some years previously he was in Australia, where he finished his education and was employed in a bank for some time. After coming to New Zealand he was overseer on a run in the Wairau, When about thirty years of age, Mr. Kidd settled down at Hope, where he took up a farm of 700 acres and named it “Willowbank”; there he carried on general farming till his death, which took place in June, 1897. His son, Mr. Edward Kidd, now manages the farm on behalf of the trustees.

Mr. E [sic]. Kidd.