By way of explanation
These pages are the first few pages of a book that is about the life of
George and Isabella in Marlborough. I named the book "The Monros of
Valleyfield and Langridge"
I (George Home Binning Monro) was born 28th November 1840. My parents were
Alexander Binning Monro and Harriet nee Monro, youngest child of Professor
Alexander Monro Tertius and Maria Agnes. They were cousins who married on 4th
August 1835.
My two brothers were David Binning born 16th November 1836 and Alexander
Binning born 12th April 1838. We lived in the historic house Auchinbowie.
In 1857, my brother, Alexander Binning took passage in the barque "Creswell"
arriving in Nelson New Zealand 111 days later on February the 6th, 1858. He was
19 years old. He was one of 16 first class passengers and there were a further
34 in steerage.
My grandfather, Professor Alexander Monro Tertius, had been appointed as
Professor of Edinburgh University in 1798. On 20 September 1800, at St Goe's
church, Bloomsbury, he married Maria Agnes, daughter of Dr James Carmichael
Smyth. He and his wife had twelve children, six boys and six girls.
Their second son, my Uncle Henry , had a disagreement with grandfather when he
was 24 years old. Before I was born, Henry had traveled to Melbourne on the
barque "James" in 1834. He took up the Crawford River Pastoral run at Hotspur,
20 miles north of Portland, in 1841and later held the nearby Bassets run.
Their third son, my Uncle David who had expected to succeed his father as
Professor of the Edinburgh medical school was very aware that his prospects of
succeeding to the position would be slight because of the social resentment, in
Edinburgh, of the established Monro family. Consequently, in 1841 he and his
friend from Edinburgh, Edward Stafford accompanied each other and settled in
Nelson, New Zealand.
Professor Monro's 4th daughter, Harriet (1816-1898), my
mother, married her Cousin Alexander Binning Monro and we lived in the historic
house, Auchinbowie.
Uncle David wrote of a trip he made in March 1855, from Nelson to Christchurch,
on horseback taking the Awatere track.
As I previously mentioned, our father had purchased land from the New Zealand
Company in the Wairau Valley near Blenheim. Apart from the freehold, it
included leashold land in the Omaka Riverbed being parts of Sections Nos 121,
170, 171, 142, also parts of No. 4 of Block 1, No. 5 of Block 1, No.6 of Block
1, and No. 7 of Block 1.
Back in Scotland, grandfather Monro Tertius was in poor health. He died on 10th
March 1859.
Now that Alexander and I had arrived in Nelson it was time to put in place
plans for us to farm our father's land. Because we were still very young,
Alexander 21 and I 19, our father had asked Uncle David to help us with some of
the planning. Uncle David, whilst not exactly our manager, was to be
responsible for the financial transactions of the sale of wool in England and
remittance of funds. Consequently there was a session of discussion between we
three on what was the best way to derive an income from the land we held.
When he was in town cousin Aleck had seen a model ship which took his fancy.
Uncle David went down with his boys to see the small ship at Nosgroves. Bought
it for £1. Got it home and presented to Aleck who is delighted with it. I
promised to rig it anew for him. We tried it in the pond and found it floats
beautifully.
Aunt Nina was on Primrose, Uncle David on Beau, Alexander on Corporal and I on
the white pony accompanied by Mr Blundell and Laura Wall started for Dramdua
about 11 o'clock. We had a nice ride up there and were very hospitably treated.
After luncheon we had a stroll on the beach. Then had tea and left about 6 for
home.
On 17th October Uncle David and Datty took the steamer to Christchurch via
Wellington and from there to look over their run at Culverden.
I left for the Wairau on 15th December 1859 in the morning. I intended to ride
Jessie but she kicked at Corporal so much that I was obliged to take the grey
pony. Henry on Jessie escorted me as far as Stoke.
Alexander and I were both back in Nelson on Friday 9th March 1860. Uncle David,
Alexander and I went down to see about this new country that William Travers, a
solicitor, suggested we apply for. We went to call upon him at his home but he
was out. We found him in town and got a rough tracing from him and other
information and in accordance with that Alexander and I lodged an application.
Tuesday was the first day of the races. We went and took all the cousins. Uncle
David drove one of my traps with Miss Carrington and her sister. I drove
another with Aunt Nina and their other chicks. Datty and Aleck rode. The sport
was very poor and the attendance not so good as on former years.
My eldest brother, David Binning Monro was educated at Glasgow and then Oxford
University. His future career was to be a scholar. In 1859 he was appointed
Fellow at Oxford and in 1882 Provost of Oriel College and subsequently Vice
Chancellor.
With him on this voyage were Charles and Thomas Cotterell later
to become his relatives. The "Creswell", at 500 tons, was small but sailed
directly to Nelson so saving the time of changing from a larger vessel which
would not be able to enter Nelson harbour.
Their first
home was at No. 15 Nicholson Square, Edinburgh but when my great grandmother
died in 1803, grandfather and his family went to live with his father in St
Andrew Square. After great grandpa died (1817), they moved to No. 121 George
Street, and finally, in 1832, to Craiglock- hart, where he had built a fine
mansion house. In 1812 they visited Dr Carmichael Smyth at Sunbury, Middlesex,
probably grandpa's only journey outside Scotland after 1800. Grandmother died
in 1833, and on 15 July 1836 grandfather married Jessie Hunter, who had no
children and outlived him.
He
married Jane Christie in 1841, a fellow passenger on the "James", but she died
the following year. Her brother was the notorious bush ranger Francis Christie.
He married Catherine Power in Portland in 1846.
My Uncle David had sent back good reports of his life in
New Zealand explaining how it was so easy to lease land there so it was decided
that my second eldest brother, Alexander and I would have better prospects as
farmers in New Zealand.
Before I was born, Uncle David acquired leases of some
30,000 acres of land in the Wairau Valley between the confluence of the Wairau
and Waihopai Rivers and drove his first flock of sheep there in 1848. So on
this recommendation, father asked him to buy for him, land from the New Zealand
Company between the Waihopai and Omaka Rivers, just east of Uncle David's
holding called Bankhouse across the Waihopai River and adjacent to the Hon.
Dillon's holding, Leefield, to the south, and Goulters across the Omaka River
to the east.
Uncle David described it as a block of land about 3000 acres.
About one half of the land is excellent agricultural land. The other is rather
stony but good for sheep. The soil is covered with natural pasture and the
surface so unencumbered with growth of any sort that without any expenditure in
the way of clearing you can put a plough in and turn up a furrow miles long. We
named it Valleyfield.
He rode up the Avon River in the
Waihopai Valley on Summerlands, crossed the saddle and joined the Awatere River
at Castle Brook where he saw Tom Ward's cottage in Fairfield Downs (Langridge
Station) "the most desolate miserable looking place I ever set eyes upon".
In Nelson, New Zealand, Uncle David had not been idle. He had acquired land in
Culverden and in the Waimea and the Wairau Valley near Blenheim and married
(1845) Dinah Secker, a lady's maid to the Hon. Constantine Dillon.
Stafford,
who in 1859 took the lease of his brother's land in the Awatere Valley known as
Upton Downs, had also been back to Australia with Uncle David to visit Uncle
David's brother Henry in Victoria station (where he visited on the way out) and
purchased sheep from him for his property in the Waimea which he called
Bearcroft.
Uncle David was in the process of returning from Invercargill, being reputably
the first white man to set foot there and en route selected the port of Otago
as a future settlement. On Tuesday 9th February 1858 he was aboard the coastal
steamer from Picton about daylight. Misty rain breaking up to a beautiful day.
Steamed down the Sound, breakfasted at Admiralty Bay, timing their entry to the
notorious French Pass to arrive at slack water, the water perfectly smooth and
the shores picturesque but utterly asleep looking and came through the French
Pass. Stopped at the Current Basin copper mine. Went ashore there and did a
little geology. On board again and got up an awning and had dinner on deck and
songs and speeches.
On approaching Nelson he saw a large ship at anchor, the
"Creswell". Passed her with 3 cheers. On reaching the pier found that his
nephew, Alexander, had arrived before. He stepped on shore and Alexander came
off and accosted him. Went with Alexander to see about his things and then
together to Webbs where they had a long chat and both slept.
The next day seeing after getting Alexander's things off the "Creswell". Went
round to the Customs House and settled about the duty to pay, 6/-. Got his
things on to old Hale's store who is very civil. Spoke to several people about
engaging men to work for Alexander and got places for them. Sent a note up to
Dinah, who he fondly called Nina, at the house they rented at Sunnyside in
Brougham Street Nelson, some one hours drive away, to send a trap down the next
day. Then they dined at Madame Taylors and had tea there in the evening.
The
following day they selected items of Alexander's luggage to take with them,
letters, Daragotypes etc and drove up to Sunnyside arriving at 5 pm much to the
excitement of his cousins Alexander (12) called Aleck, David (11) called Datty,
Charles (7) Maria Georgina (10) called Georgy and Constance (5). Then the next
day they put Admiral in the trap and drove back to Hale's store to fetch
Alexander's portmanteau which had a collection of photographs in it. Admiral
went well and Alexander handled her nicely. So the rest of the day was spent
looking over the photographs.
As soon as Alexander had cleared his matters in Nelson
he departed for the Wairau to make preparations for farming the land.
Getting to the Wairau from Nelson however was a two day journey. He could take
a coastal sailing ship to the Wairau River or the steamer to Picton but he
would have to leave his horse behind or pay the cost of sending it by boat. He
could go by horesback via Tophouse or take the road over the Mokitap. The road
over the Mokitap was rough and steep but once having reached the Pelorous
River, the riding was easy down through Havelock until the Wairau River was
reached which allowed entry to the valley. If rain had been heavy the river
would be high and he would not get across. He remembered that this was the
place where some years previously his Uncle's bullock wagon had been swept away
and the driver drowned.
The route through Tophouse did not have the steep grade
of the Mokitap but was longer and much of it through dense bush. It still had
the Wairau to cross but much further upstream where there was less water. But
this was mid summer and there had been little rain for many weeks. The Wairau
should be low. He would take the road over the Mokitap. He would be on his own
without company.
Although his Uncle David owned 26,000 acres just across the
river, from his land, he had little interest in it and had leased it out some
years ago to James Balfour Wemyss who had stocked the land and built a mud
house at Craiglochart in which he lived. Then Henry Redwood became interested
in the lease of the property, and his son Tom lived on the place and managed
it for his father.
Alexander's first problem was to provide some basic
accommodation for himself and then to get some sheep and build some fences for
them and to break up the land for growing horse feed. The initial fences would
be constructed in wattling which comprised wooden standards with twiggy
material woven between them. The sheep, which were attended by a shepherd would
be enclosed there during the night.
Alexander was back in Nelson on 25th September after having broken up 25 acres
of the land at Valleyfield.
On 10 June 1859 I sailed from Great Britain in the "Alpine". The "Alpine"
arrived in Port Otago on Sunday the 11th September with immigrants. She left
the Clyde on the 10th June with upwards of 500 souls on board, and passed Eagle
Island the following day. Light winds and fine weather were experienced for the
first six weeks of the passage, and the Equator was crossed on the 24th of
July. The meridian of the Cape was passed on the 7th of August. On the 24th the
iron reefing gear of the main topsail yard was carried away, which prevented
any sail being set on the main yards for three days, during which the accident
was repaired.
Off the coast of New Zealand spoke the "Mato-aka," bound for Auckland. Made the
Snares (65 miles SSW of Stewart Island) on the l0th September, and on the next
day we anchored at Otago, after a fair passage of 93 days from land to land,
during which no very heavy weather was experienced, nor anything calling for
more special remark. The "Alpine" is one of the finest ships that has ever
anchored in Port Otago.
The cabin passengers on the " Alpine," previous to our arrival in harbour,
presented an address to Captain Crawford expressing their gratitude. I added my
signature, GH.Binning Monro.
Things did not go so well for the immigrant passengers below deck. Eight
children passengers died during the passage and an adult with consumption. The
Immigration officer in Dunedin charged the master with breaches under the "
Passenger Act 1855" of single men to be berthed in separate compartments,
number and sex in one berth, construction and privies, light and ventilation,
certain articles prohibited as cargo and ballast and storage of cargo, water
and provisions, size of messes and issue of cooking provisions, passenger cook
and cooking apparatus, medicine and medical comforts, sale of spirits.
Then I had to wait in Port Otago 13 days until the coastal steamer "Prince
Alfred" called to take me to Nelson arriving there on 1st October 1859.
The "Prince Alfred" arrived early in Nelson and there was no one at the wharf to
greet me so I hired a conveyance to take me to Sunnyside. Alexander was in town
with Uncle David negotiating some business with Fraser when some of the
passengers off the "Prince Alfred" came in. From them they learned that I had
arrived and so Alexander posted away up to Sunnyside while Uncle David followed
going round by the Bank. Uncle David then walked home and I found him there
before me. He thought me taller than Alexander with a somewhat different face
and rather delicate looking. Had a long chat with him and Alexander and then
drove round the beach to see about my luggage.
The next day, we all went to
church and the following day, a beautiful day, my luggage came round and we
were all busy at the delightful occupation of unpacking the things. The cousins
in the state of great pleasure. The grown-up folks almost the same. Henry
Sewell called and we had a chat and Elliott came also to join in the talk.
C.Elliot was a property salesman with his offices in Trafalgar Street whilst
Sewell, a colleague of Uncle David's, was an elected member of the Government.
After breakfast the next day, we went up the country to Uncle David's run at
Bearcroft. It is about 15 miles to the West on the Banks of the Waimea River,
about 2 hours drive. The property is 170 acres plus the riverbed which is 25
acres.
Aunt Nina and Alexander rode. Uncle David drove me and Datty. Got up
about 12. The garden looks well and things are coming forward nicely. Looked
about us in the meadows and visited the horses and cattle. Had some dinner
about 2. After dinner Uncle David went down to the North School houses to see
how the school was getting on. He found 23 children present and 3 of the books.
Just as he was leaving, their neighbours, the Blundells, made their appearance
there. Uncle asked Mrs.Blundell to call at Bearcroft which she did. When the
Blundells were gone Aunt Nina and Uncle David and Datty went up to old Redwoods
where they were hospitably treated and stopped all night. A party was planned
for tomorrow evening so invitations were sent out.
I had to return to Port Otago for a short time and got back from there in the
"Lord Worsley" on 6th March 1860.
There
had been articles in the Nelson Examiner about the commercial opportunities of
horse breeding and Alexander was very interested in horses. Then there was
sheep farming which was thought to be most suited to the Wairau land. The land
had never carried grazing animals and grew native aniseed. Alexander had spoken
to Wemyss and Tom Redwood who said the ground would carry 4 sheep to the acre.
Much more than was common in Scotland.
We made some calculations of the cost of breaking up and laying down the land
on the plain. The 25 acres already broken up will cost as follows. Breaking up
25/-. Cross ploughing and harrowing 15/-. Sowing 13/-. Fencing £2 per acre. We
may say £5 per acre. The interest upon this at 10 % is 10/- and if it will keep
4 sheep to the acre the rental paid for each sheep will be 2/6d. It may be done
cheaper however. With one's own team the laying down might be done for £2 per
acre including the cost of grass seed and the fencing in proper shaped blocks
would not exceed £1 per acre. 4 sheep to the acre would then be grazing at 6/-
or 1/6 for each sheep. But being with fences there would be no shepherding.
There was also a decision to be made as to whether we would have separate farms
or work together as a partnership.
We read with interest in the local newspaper, The Nelson Examiner, a report on
horse breeding, taken from the Sydney Empire, of June 4th. There cannot be any
doubt that the climate of New Zealand is peculiarly favourable for horse
breeding, for to no other cause can we attribute the extraordinary success of
the Nelson horses on the Australian turf. This fact, if turned to proper
account, may hereafter become of the greatest importance to this colony.
The Homebush contests in Australia, just now concluded, may be supposed to be
useful to station owners, as proving to them how very much may be done by each
individual owner in the improvement of his stock, if proper care and attention
is paid to them; for it is now placed beyond a doubt that the superiority
attained over Australians best horses last year by those then imported from New
Zealand, was no mere accidental success snatched by a combination of lucky
accidents as maintained by many in Victoria in reference to our own success
there. For we have the fact established, that a very little and very young
colony, whose area for grazing and whose number of horse stock to select from,
is perfectly insignificant when compared with ours, and having the further
disadvantage of a dangerous sea transit, can send, one season after another,
not one horse only, but a number of horses to compete for our highest prizes
and become not only rivals, but almost uniform victors in the contest. Now,
this, though apparently having only an interest to the sporting world, may come
to have an important bearing in a commercial point of view, when taken in
connection with the large money outlay of the East India Government in their
purchases of horses for their cavalry and artillery service : those purchases
will be influenced, no doubt, by the relative character of the horses in the
different countries, from which they can draw their supplies. We have hitherto
been in the habit of supposing that our adjoining Australian colonies, and the
Cape colony, have been our only competitors in the supply of this item of
export, but we learn that a late committee of inquiry in India has recommended
the horses from South America, are those most desirable for the Indian
Government to purchase. This would almost imply that the New South Wales horse
is not now the class of animal he used to be, when he took preeminence of all
others in the Southern hemisphere, not only for speed but endurance. The latter
quality is, without doubt, the one which our racing prizes should most aim at
fostering, as it is the one taken into account by those who purchase for
cavalry or artillery purposes, and, indeed, also for all colonial and business
purposes. It cannot fail, however, to strike any one who has visited our other
colonies, that the want of substance in our everyday horse stock is more
apparent here than in other markets and this, we think, arises from the
breeders in Van Diemen's Land and Victoria having been very enterprising in
introducing heavier breeding stock on their runs, and, although their outlay in
so doing may have been at first very heavy, they find the wise economy of it by
the greatly improved prices they obtain, for their increase, besides being a
class of animal always marketable.
Party in the evening. The Major, Andrew and Mrs Richmond, Mrs
Huddleston and Miss Huddleston, Archdeacon Paul and Miss Paul, The two Miss
Hacketts, Mr Haast, Knyvett, Keppel, Walmsley. Music and 20 questions. The
latter exceedingly slow. The questioners taking far too much time to arrange
their questions. Broke up about 12.
On Sunday, Aunt Nina and the others went to church. Uncle David had a headache
and stopped at home. He went down into the garden with Constance and cut
asparagus for dinner. In the afternoon Aunt Nina and Uncle David went to call
upon Mrs A. Collins. Found her at home with her mother and had a long chat. At
home in the evening.
The next day Uncle went down to town to buy various things for the rigging of
Aleck's boat such as whipcord, wire, eyelets etc. and in the evening we
continued discussions about farming practice.
Old Strong came after breakfast and informed us that the "Roxana", a sailing
vessel which had had a rough trip from the Wairau, had arrived and that
Alexander's horse, which was on board, was alright.
Later that week, before breakfast, Uncle David and I drove round to see Clyde
Champion landed. He was hoisted in his box on to the Albion wharf and backed
out. The poor brute could hardly stand on his legs at first but soon recovered
himself. Home to breakfast.
The evening cold and clear. The horses behaved themselves well and
everything went off successfully.
I was 19 years old on my birthday on 28th November 1859.
When Uncle David and Datty returned on 3rd December, I took the trap to the
wharf to meet them.
Uncle David intended to
proceed to the Wairau next Monday by the "Tasmanian Maid" which leaves at 3 pm
but on the Monday he wrote a letter to me saying that he had delayed his trip
because the English mail had not arrived.
On Sunday the family went to church in the forenoon. The Bishop preached. In
the afternoon Uncle David walked up with Aunt Nina and me and some of the
children to look at the College buildings. They are getting on fast and look
very well.
The following day, in the afternoon Aunt Nina and Alexander went out for a
ride.
Later in the week Uncle David had a holiday with all the children. Hired
the Yankees 2 seated golf cart and drove up to Bearcroft with Aunt Nina and
Georgie. Constance, Charlie, Alexander, Aleck, Datty and Mr Meyer rode. At
Bearcroft we looked round the place which is in very good order and had some
dinner under the Acacia tree. We then went on to Ernstone and looked round
there. Then to the Blundells. They were all out. Then to the Saxons where we
saw Mrs Saxon and two of the young ladies. Then by the Catholic chapel to
Bearcroft where we gathered some flowers and got up some bulbs for the Miss
Coopers and then home. Datty and Uncle David riding. Uncle David on Primrose,
Datty on Prince.
Alexander and I returned on Thursday 5th April 1860, about 2, in time for
Datty's ninth birthday.
We told our Uncle David that we had serious misgivings
about the suitability of the Wairau for sheep raising. We don't think this new
country will do. It was the end of summer and there had been no rain in the
Wairau for many weeks. Everything was parched brown and dusty. The price of
wool was only 9d a lb, and we only had a small holding barely enough to have an
income. We needed more land.
On Saturday in the forenoon went down to town about various matters.
After luncheon went up to call on the Saxtons. Aunt Nina and Uncle David in the
trap, Aleck and Datty and Alexander riding. When we came back saw the smoke of
a steamer. Aunt Nina went down with some of the children to Jacksons.
When they
returned they brought the news that the steamer was the "Airdale" and that it
was reported that the Waikato tribes had sent to the Governor to say that
unless he made peace in 5 days they would burn New Plymouth town down. I went
down to town to inquire about this and found Stafford at Mrs Taylors who
confirms the report. There was a public meeting in the Court house afterwards
which the men attended and a good deal of excitement in consequence of the
rumor. Stafford came home with them and stayed at Sunnyside. When we got home
we found that two young ladies Misses Carrington, refugees from Taranaki, had
arrived.
The second race day was Thursday. Uncle David and Aunt Nina and the children
went. When they were gone the Miss Murrays came to Sunnyside and waited until
Uncle David came home. They stopped for tea. In the evening we had some music
and then pushed the table to one side and danced.
They are good natured and
merry girls and seemed to enjoy themselves very much. We had a good lesson in
the Polka Magurka. They went home in one of my traps, Alexander driving and
that they also enjoyed very much.
The Race Ball was on Friday evening getting back to Sunnyside at 3 in the
morning.
The following day, Monday 16th April 1860, Uncle David went to the Land Office
and withdrew his deposit £50 for an application for a run. Paid it into the
Bank. Paid Sherratt his account and Balme. Saw Edwards about Wards run in the
Upper Awatere.
He is to consult Ward's brother-in-law Captain Fearon and let
Uncle David know if he will sell to Alexander and me.
The next day we breakfasted earlier than usual and about 1/2 past 9 hired the
American omnibus and set off for Bearcroft, the 3 Miss Murrays, 2 Miss
Carringtons, Miss Isabella Huddlestons, Aunt Nina, Uncle David, Alexander and
I. Fleming went up to try to buy some sheep at the sale but he came back
without making any purchase. Old Mr Gordon came down to Bearcroft in the
afternoon and walked about the garden. Uncle David went up to Ernstone. Mr
Dakers has not yet gone in. The party got down about 1/2 past 8. The horses
stuck in the river.
On Wednesday, Uncle David saw Edwards and Fearon again about Ward's run. They
are to write to Ward and ask him if he is willing to sell.
Ward's run of 34,000 acres is in the Upper Awatere between Castle Creek and
Molesworth Creek. It is generally very steep with about 8000 acres of downs.
There is no road to it at all and everything has to be packed in by horse. A
shearing reserve is located in the lower valley between Glenlee and Blairlich
runs, to which sheep could be driven to be shorn and from which the wool could
be taken by dray to the mouth of the Wairau where it is loaded on shallow draft
vessels and then conveyed to sailing ships at Port Underwood.