MR WILLIAM MARCROFT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14162, 30 September 1911, Page 12

MR WILLIAM MARCROFT.

i There passed away at Tlharakma a week ap;o, in the person of Mr William Marcroft, one of the earliest and most active of the Canterbury sheep breeders who laid tho foundation of our present Leicester and .Lincoln flocks. Mr Marcroft, who had attained the age of four score years when ho died, came out to Albert' Land, Auckland, in September, 1862, with a sister. Mrs Burton, and four brothers. He reached Canterbury on the next New Year'? Day, and engaged himself to his Honour H. B. Gresson, who had a farm at Waiora, Woodend. Later, Mr Marcroft became manager for the butchering business of Mr W. H. Mem, at Kaiapoi, and when this passed to Messrs G. Woston and E. Parnham, he engaged with Mr J. S. White io manage a new farm being broken up at Flaxton. Returning on a visit to Auckland, he visited all tho pr?.icipa! sheep flocks, and arranged with Messrs John Grigg and Thos. Russell, who were closing partnership, to arrange their sheep for sale. VVhile so I engaged, he received a commission from Mr Gresson and other Canterbury sheep breeders to purchase three ewo lambs at 6. guineas, and ho purchased also on his own account. Returning to Canterbury, Mr Marcroft became connected with Mr P. C. Threlkeld. The latter had at the time returned from England with two rams and two ewes, which were destined to be the first of j the well-known Inglewood flock. About this time- Mr Marcroft was very much in evidence as a sheep breeder. He was the. first to take a long wool ram., named Standard Bearer, from North Canterbury to tho Timafu chow. This was at a titno when tho railway was open to AshJburton. From there- to Timarn a spring dray was used, and fording the Rangitata both man and horse had a narrow escape. The history of Mr Mareroft's sheep is much interwoven with the flocks of many ot the South Canterbury breeders of English Lcicesters, and these included sonic of tho beet strains from leading flocks. Ho was a large and consistent prizetaker at the exhibitions of the Canterbury A. and P. Association and district shows mainly in the years from 1859 to 1874. He gained many of the silver medals, and was constantly on the alert for improving tho typo whereby the wealth of the Ebminiori has been increased in a truly marvellous manner. In his later yeans he was for n time in charge nt Lincoln College, and retired to reside with a brother near Auckland. - ■ . "'"— !