Mr. John William Paynter was born in Nelson, on the 15th of May, 1866, and is the eldest son of Mr. John Paynter, a well known farmer of Stoke. His grandfather, the late Mr. William Paynter, came to New Zealand as early as the year 1842, and he and his sons saw active service in the Maori war in the province of Taranaki, and subsequently settled in Nelson, where the family has since resided. Mr. Paynter was educated at the local public school, and brought up to farming under his father, at Stoke. In 1886, he went to the Wairau, and for many years was engaged at general farm work in page 352 various parts of the province. Mr. Paynter acquired a leasehold title to Auntsfield Farm, in 1898. He is a member of the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the Blenheim branch of the Farmers' Union, the Renwicktown Rifle Club, and of the Fairhall school committee. Mr. Paynter married the youngest daughter of the late Mr. David Herd, in the year 1890, and has two sons and two daughters.