Mr. David Hammond was born in England in 1811, and landed at Nelson, New Zealand, by the ship “Lord Auckland,” on the 23rd of February, 1842. Mr. Hammond was engaged by the New Zealand Company to survey the Nelson district, then in its natural state. He belonged to the party of surveyors who were cruelly massacred by the Maoris in the Wairau district, but had been recalled to headquarters at Nelson shortly before the raid made by the hostile natives, and in that way he escaped the fate which befell a number of the party. After the New Zealand Company failed, Mr. Hammond decided to take up some land, and he made a home for himself and family on the fertile Waimea Plains, where he remained for a considerable time. In 1871 he removed to Marlborough, where he resided until his death in 1892. Mr. Hammond took no part in politics, but he always did his best for the interests of the district. He was one of the earlier members of the local Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity.

Dr. Horne was born at Isleworth, on the banks of the Thames, England, where his father was an eminent solicitor. He was educated at King's College school, London, and afterwards studied at St. Thomas's Hospital, where he and the late Dr. Cotterell, of Nelson, were under the celebrated surgeon, Le Gros Clark. After obtaining his diploma Dr. Horne made two voyages to Melbourne in the clippers “Lightning” and “James Baines.” Subsequently he came to New Zealand in the “Maori,” and in 1855 went Home in her by way of China. Having made the round of the world, he came out to Nelson in 1857, and went to Collingwood, where he practised for some time. In 1858 the town of Blenheim had just been founded, and there being a great need for a medical man, he acceded to the request of Dr. Muller and settled permanently in the Wairau. For some years he practised on his own account, and subsequently in connection with Dr. Johnston, later of Feilding, and Dr. Cleghorn, of Blenheim, the latter of whom had also been a student of St. Thomas's Hospital. During the last few years of his life Dr. Horne resided for the most part on his country property, acting as a consultant with his fellow practitioners in important cases, especially those of a surgical nature. Dr. Horne was highly esteemed for his excellent qualities, and his sympathy and active kindness in times of sickness and adversity endearea him to all. He met his death at the disastrous fire which destroyed over twenty buildings at Blenheim on the 30th of June, 1887. He had been attending a sick person at the Criterion Hotel, where he and one of his sons had decided to stay for the night. The fire broke out in the hotel about one o'clock in the morning, and it is supposed that in attempting to rescue his son (who had previously escaped from the burning building), Dr. Horne lost his life. He left a widow and a large family.