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Journal of the Nelson and Marlborough Historical Societies, Volume 1, Issue 2, November 1982

The Early Sheep Runs of Marlborough

The Early Sheep Runs of Marlborough

page 26

"Wantwood" Run 3

After the absolution of partnership between Nathaniel George Morse and Dr. James Henry Cooper about 1848. Morse took his share of the livestock and drove them down the Wairau River past George Duppa's "Birch Hill Run", and squatted on the land between the Wye River and Boundary Creek. The latter enters the Wairau Valley Plain at or about surveyed section No. 51. The southern boundary was the crest of the Rocky Hills forming the watershed between the Wairau and Waihopai Valleys.

The first Crown Grant of land to Morse on "Wantwood" was for section 63 and part of section 52. Wairau Valley District (Budge's survey) in October 1851. Section 63 was for a homestead site and 52 could have been for an outstation or yards for holding stock driven down Boundary Creek from the back of the run.

Further grants of land were made from 1854 to 1865.

In 1854 Alfred George Jenkins was also granted two sections of stony land along the Wairau River in front of Morse's freehold, however these were conveyed to Morse in 1861. From about 1860 to 1866 "Wantwood" run was leased to the Reverend Henry Edward Tuckey and Captain Francis H. Blundell. The electoral roll of 1861 lists Henry Edward Tuckey, leaseholder. James Francis Blundell, householder. Walter Long Wrey, household, all of "Wantwood", and William Morgan Harris, householder on Wantwood Dairy Station.

Nathaniel George Morse was an early Nelson settler of Lower Moutere, in residence there by 1843 in partnership with Murray and Rogers, on section 201, north bank of the Moutere River. They soon cleared their land and ordered large quantities of lime from lime burners of Suburban South. Nelson. In 1844 they brought sheep from Wellington and Taranaki and within a few months they had 600 sheep and thirty head of cattle.

By November 1846 Morse and Dr. James H. Cooper were squatting at Tophouse with a flock of sheep, and by March 1847 they had over one thousand sheep at the head of the Wairau Valley.

Morse was also a good marksman, and won the New Zealand Champion's Belt for shooting, and was keenly interested in the volunteers, becoming the senior officer in command of the district. He also owned a farm at Waimea West, where he often lived until he left Nelson to settle in Wanganui, where he died.

In 1867 Morse sold "Wantwood" to Francis Pitt of "Rockeby". South Rakaia, Canterbury and Charles Mills Cogle, also of Canterbury, who farmed in partnership on shares two-thirds to Pitt and one-third to Cogle. He agreed to pay Morse 13,822 pounds and to take over the mortgage of 1.858 pounds. The partners soon ran into financial trouble with falling prices of wool. Pitt was declared bankrupt in 1869. and handed over his interest in the property to the Union Bank of Australia. The following year Cogle disposed of his interest to the Bank for 300 pounds. Soon after, the bank conveyed the property to N. G. Morse who in turn sold the run to Edwards and Company of Nelson.

page 27

In 1880 Carter Bros. (Thomas and James) of "Hillersden" purchased the property, and from then on "Wanlwood" became a part of their large Hillersden run. The approximate area of "Wantwood" at that time was 9,094 acres freehold and 17,894 acres of leasehold.

Run No. 4

I have not so far discovered a name for this run. It was first taken up by Sir William Congreve, a son of the inventor of an explosive rocket for military purposes. Congreve did not hold it long before he transferred the run to Alfred George Jenkins of Enner Glynn, Nelson.

A. G. Jenkins was born at Newport, Monmouthshire in 1813; married Harriette Lane in 1841. and they sailed soon after in the Lord Auckland for New Zealand, arriving at Nelson in February 1842. Jenkins was an energetic man. By 1845, he and Matthew Campbell were running the flour mill on land adjoining the Maitai River and the Eel Pond in Nelson. He acquired 2,000 acres of land behind Nelson which he called Enner Glyn after his home in Wales, and also three sections near Richmond. (Note: Jenkins spelt Enner Glynn in New Zealand, whereas the place in Wales is spelt Ener Glyn, reason unknown.) He was secretary of the Nelson College Board of Governors for a few years.

Jenkins found difficulty in getting wool away from his property in the Wairau, and his wife worried that he might drown crossing the Wairau River on his many trips to his run. This caused him to dispose of his land in that quarter to his neighbour Edward David Sweet in 1854.

Run No. 5

This was held in 1854 by Alfred George Jenkins, and used as a cattle run. As it was on the north side of the Wairau River access was difficult. Just when Jenkins took up this run is not clear, but he transferred the licence in 1857 to Thomas Carter of Hillersden.

It was known as the North Bank run, and in 1866, Carter transferred the lease to Richard Timms, who was a son of Charles Timms who farmed the adjoining Oddstone Run. Richard Timms and his brother Samuel Timms ran this run and the adjoining Hillersden Cattle Run No. 6A in partnership for a few years until forced to assign the lease to George Bennett and John Symons of Nelson, merchants trading as N. Edwards & Co.

Hillersden Cattle Run, 31,700 acres. Run No. 6A

This was a much larger run than Run No. 5, and was taken up in the early 1850's by Edward David Sweet of Hillersden. This area was included in E. D. Sweet's licence of 1854 in Run No. 6 for Hillersden, but was separated a few years later. It was on the north side of the Wairau River, and to the east of Run No. 5.

In the autumn of 1868 the lease was transferred to Richard Timms, and he and his brother Samuel Timms ran it until taken over by Bennett and Symons the following year. In 1873, John Symons (who by then had acquired all the shares in N. Edwards & Co.) transferred the lease in these two cattle runs to Samuel Redley Buckman, George John Storer Mansfield Mason, and Elijah Bytheli, all at that time of North Bank of Wairau, flaxdressers. The following year, Buckman and Mason assigned the lease to Elijah Bythell for 100 page 28pounds, subject to a mortgage to William Blick of Blenheim and George Blick of Nelson. In 1879 Elijah Bythell, who was then of Blenheim, builder, assigned the lease to William Bell the younger, and his brother James Bell of Wairau Valley, later to become well known in farming circles throughout Marlborough.

During this time Bell Brothers occupied these two runs, they were known as the Northbank Run, and in 1895 they acquired the Oddstone Run in this area. In 1899 they sold their interest in the runs to the Crown, who then made a fresh subdivision of the area under a Land for Settlement Act of that time.

It should be noted that this was gold bearing land, and after the Tipperary gold rush of about 1868. which involved about 500 men many areas were dug over and mined in the search for this precious mineral. Others found occupation in sawmilling and flax dressing. Quite a number of small sections of land were freeholded in scattered places throughout the run.

"Hillersden" Run No. 6 (1854)

Edward David Sweet squatted on this run in 1848. and was granted a depasture licence in 1849 (Run No. 2) of that year. He was one of the first to erect a house in which to live in the Wairau Valley. The lower half was built of cob and the upper of timber, which was milled at the Big Bush, Grovetown, near Blenheim, by pitsawyers and carted to Hillersden in Bullock drays. This homestead was about a mile to the south of Highway 63 on Section 32 Block VIII Mount Olympus Survey District, and about four miles south-west from Wairau Valley township. By 1914 the house had fallen into disuse, and only the sheep-yards nearby on Section 31 are shown on Map of Sections (1914).

Originally the northern boundary of the run was along surveyed sections (Budge's 1848). Eastwards by Hillersden Stream, over Sweets Saddle and down Sweets Stream to Waihopai River, up the Neatherwood Stream and over a hill known as the Wether Hill, and down a stream later known as Forty Eight Valley to survey peg 47/48. Sweet came to New Zealand on the sailing ship Lord Auckland, 628 tons. leaving from Gravesend 25th September. 1941, and arrived in Nelson 23rd February 1842. He is shown on the passenger list as a bank clerk. His neighbour to the east of Hillersden was C. F. W. Watts at "Lansdowne", and after taking over Jenkin's Run No. 4 in 1854 his neighbour to the west was N- G. Morse on "Wantwood". To the south-west was G. H. Meyers on "Te Arowhenua".

Both Sweet and Jenkins were able to purchase some surveyed sections (Budge's Survey 1848) in front of their runs, but not all. Dr. Joseph Foord Wilson bought eight of them in a row of good land between the main road and the hills, and to the east of Sweet's homestead section.

To the Wairau Valley in 1854, from Australia, came the Carter brothers, Thomas. James and Joseph. Thomas Carter was their leader, and was to have a big influence on the sheep farming of the Wairau, as well as serving on the Provincial Council of Marlborough for fourteen years and becoming the Province's third Superintendent.

Carter Brothers' first purchase of land was three of four sections of good land to the west of Hillersden Stream, and on this parcel of land they erected a cob cottage which became the nucleus of a much larger home they built on later of timber. In 1858. Carter Brothers were able to purchase Dr. J. F.page 29
Wairau Sheep Runs 1854

Wairau Sheep Runs 1854

page 30Wilson's land, and this started the land aggregation which they carried on for over twenty years to become the recognised wool kings of Wairau Valley.

The Carter brothers were born near Winterton in Lincolnshire. England. In early manhood. Tom, at least, left England and tried his luck on the Californian goldfields, nd from there the brothers made their way to the newly found goldfields of Australia, before coming to Marlborough in 1854. Soon they were grazing stock as far away as the Acheron and Clarence Valleys, and in 1859 they were granted a depasturage licence over country from the Dillon River to Jollies Pass. They later extended this run up the Acheron. Clarence, Severn and Alma Rivers.

In 1862, A. G. Jenkins sold some of his freehold sections in the Wairau to E. D. Sweet and the balance to Carter Bros. E. D. Sweet had returned to live in England in 1859, first at Little Birkhamstead in the county of Hereford, but later near Lymington in Hampshire. Just who ran Hillersden from 1859 to 1864 is not clear, whether it was by a manager or on lease or on shares, but in 1864 on 12th July a deed of lease was drawn up between Edward David Sweet on the one hand and Samuel Hellier Pike and Charles Saxton on the other, for a transfer of the licence of Hillersden Run and the lease of certain freehold lands along with a flock of sheep. Pike and Saxton did not do well and had to sell and transfer their interests in the run and flock of sheep to Carter Bros, in 1865 and 1866. In 1869 Sweet sold his interest in Hillersden to Carter Bros.

In 1867 Joseph Carter returned to Winterton in England where he died in early December of that year. He died intestate and his brother James became his heir at law. In 1877 Carter Bros, disposed of their holdings in the Clarence and lower Acheron Valleys to W. A. Low, in order to concentrate their energies closer to Hillersden. They had already purchased Stronvar Run in the Waihopai from S. H. Pike in 1865 and in 1880 they purchased Wantwood Run No. 3 of 15,381 acres for 13,000 pounds with the flock of sheep and station stock. In June of 1881 they purchased Te Arowhenua Run No. 48, from G- H. Meyers's widow. This gave Carter Bros, a fairly compact area all contiguous of over 79,000 acres.

Thomas Carter had married Catherine Schroder, daughter of G. W. Schroder in 1866. James Carter died in 1881. toward the end of the year, and left half his share in the estate to his brother, the rest of it being divided among a half-brother and two half-sisters who resided in Lincolnshire, England.

In 1891 Thomas Carter bought the Wither Run No. 14. earlier known as Taylors River Run, on the outskirts of Blenheim, which at that time included several flat sections of land to the south of Alabama Road, and also the Burleigh homestead on the south-west corner of Blenheim where he and his wife lived from 1897 until his death in 1900.

His manager at Hillersden was James Bell who was also one of his trustees, and carried on Hillersden with considerable efficiency until the run was sold to the Crown for closer settlement in 1914.

Lansdowne Run No. 7 (Run No. I of 1849)

Lansdownewas taken up by Charles Fowell Willet Watts in 1848, or perhaps late 1847. His neighbour to the westward was E. D. Sweet, and to the eastward was "Erina". at first held by Richard Coward. Over in the Waihopai Valley his neighbour was Dr. David Monro on "Bankhouse".

page 31

In 1852 Watts was given a Crown Grant of his first section of fifty acres. By 1865 he had purchased the freehold title to all the land on his run as well as several sections between the run and the Wairau River.

Watts was a New Zealand Company surveyor from Nelson, and came to the Wairau in 1847 to help with Budge's survey of the Wairau and Awatere for closer settlement. As well as the good money he would make as a surveyor he must have had other means to have made such progress in securing his run.

His first cottage at Lansdowne was built on a little knob out of mud plastered onto a frame of manuka posts and rails, held together with strong manuka dowells. Although the walls of mud were only about ten inches thick they have stood the test of time, and only in recent times have they started to fall into disrepair. His second house was built a few chains to the west of the first cottage, also of mud, and was much larger and of more orthodox construction, with some later additions of timber, and, after the third house was built, it became the station cook-house.

Sometime in the mid-seventies, C. F. W. Watts went to live in Nelson, where he had a house called "Melrose" built, and lived there until his death in 1881. His managers at Lansdowne were Herbert Bonnington 1868, and George T. Mackay 1870. and George Henry Watson 1881. After his death, Lansdowne was carried on under the administration of trustees, who were Henry Edwards, accountant of Nelson, Elizabeth Watts his widow, Charles Alexander Watts his eldest son, who took over the management of the run but unfortunately died early at the age of 43 in August 1895, leaving a wife Edith (nee Reynall), three sons and one daughter.

George Fowell Watts, a younger son of C. F. W. Watts, who had "Erina" Run since 1883 worked his way round to become manager of Lansdowne, but did not become a trustee of his father's estate until 1915. not long before his mother died in England where she had been living for several years. Her death cleared the way for G. F. Watts to purchase Lansdowne on his own account.

During G. F. Watt's time at"Lansdowne the property built up a good reputation for merino sheep. A man who helped considerably with selecting and looking after Ihem was the head shepherd Charles Timms (a son of Richard Timms). After the death of G. F. Watts in 1937, trustees carried the run on under the management of Jock Buchanan until 1947 when it was sold to the New Zealand Government for settlement of returned servicemen, and divided into four blocks, ballotted for in 1949.

"Erina" Run No. 8(1854)

This was originally Run No. 9 (1849) and was taken up in 1848 by Richard Coward, who with his brother George had arrived in New Zealand in 1847 as cabin passengers on the barque Ralph Bernal.

During the autumn of 1848 Richard Coward helped drive a flock of sheep from Nelson to the Wairau, and upon returning to Nelson applied for the depasturage licence of "Erina". This was a small run tucked in between Lansdowne and Bankhouse runs. About the end of September 1849 while returning to his run from Nelson alone and on foot. Richard Coward was drowned in the Wairau River. Just how long his brother George carried on the run is not known, but by the beginning of 1854 a fresh licence was issued to George William Schroder. The licence was transferred to William Wells and John Thompson Galloway on 6th April, 1854. As well as surrendering the page 32licence to Wells and Galloway, Schroder also sold them his freehold section II of 50 acres. The Erina Run at that time was about 6,200 acres, out of which Wells and Galloway freeholded a further 917 acres.

G. W. Schroder came out to Nelson by independent means and established a merchant business as well as becoming a runholder in the Wairau. After disposing of Erina he took over the Raglan Run and leased Birch Hill from George Duppa, but was ruined by scab, and later became constable at Waiau in North Canterbury, clerk of the Amuri Road Board. Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and several other official duties at Waiau. Galloway and Wells are listed as gentlemen of Nelson, and afterthe death of J. T. Galloway on 13th March 1857. Wells sold the freehold to William Douglas Hall Baillie, a figure well known later on in public life, both on the Marlborough Provincial Council and the New Zealand Legislative Council.

Captain W. D. H. Baillie was born in New Brunswick in 1827, served in India for six years and came to New Zealand in the Oriental in 1857. After disposing of Erina to the mortgagee Alfred Fell in 1870 he moved to Para. In 1861 he became the second Superintendent of Marlborough, and also that year he became a member of New Zealand's Legislative Council, remaining until his death in 1922.

Alfred Fell was an early settler to Nelson, having arrived in the sailing ship Lord Auckland in 1842. He quickly established himself as a merchant with good success. Later he sold the business to Nathaniel Edwards and Co., and returned to England where he died in 1871. His executors sold Erina in 1873 to William Stavert of Nelson, merchant, for 2,900 pounds. Stavert soon sold the run to William Bell and his two elder sons William and James.

The Bells retained the run until 1883 before selling to George Fowell Watts, a younger son of Charles Fowell Willett Watts ofLansdowne. In 1915, Watts transferred Erina to his wife's name in order to take over the ownership ofLansdowne from his father's estate. Erina was sold to the Crown in 1917 for the settlement of returned servicemen, and 13 servicemen were settled there.