Pioneers’ Descendants Plan Family Reunion

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30854, 13 September 1965, Page 15

Pioneers’ Descendants Plan Family Reunion

centenary of the arrival of the piopassed aim Horrell family in New Zealand a far div t Un "° tlCed in 1950 ’ but P lans for enthusiastic res^s?^ 6111661 ' are receivin * an

Although the pio£e. er cou Ple, John and Elizabeth Korrell, settled in Canterbury after arriving in one of the First Four Ships, tlie Charlotte Jane, in December. 1850, the celebrations will be neld ln Southland, > many of the Korrell s and related families now live.

The celebrations will prob-l ably be held at Riversdale—a crn , choice of location has son to be made—or, Decerner 10, 11, 12. The celebrations will include a banquet and a dance on the Friday: a roll call and picnic on the Saturday: and a church service on the Sunday. The response to the reunion has been excellent. More than 1000 invitations have been sent out and already 350 persons have indicated they will attend. The organisers may nave to cater for about 500 and it is possible relatives from England may be among those attending. As a result of the preparations for the reunion many historical records relating to the family are being made available to the organisers and it is planned to collate the information for future reference. Among the records is a sermon preached in Devonshire, England, in 1882 at the graveside of John Horrell, father of the New Zealand pioneer, paying tribute to the pioneering spirit of his children. Canterbury First Choice Although Canterbury was the original settling place in New Zealand for the newly arriving Korrells, later several of the brothers and their families and the related Tremaine family all moved to Southland where land was then more readily available. As well as their Canterbury holding, the pioneer couple took up a block in the Waikato near what is now the town of Morrinsville. and they moved there with some of their children. Today members of the Korrell family are scattered throughout the country at least as far north as Whangarei, and two have emigrated to America.

Elizabeth Horrell had been a teacher in a church school before her marriage in England and although she had a baby son (Sam) she taught other children on the Charlotte Jane on the voyage to her new country.

Shortly after the arrival of the pioneer couple at Lyttelton, John Horrell left for the goldfields in Australia where he followed his trade of engineer, stopping there for nine months before returning to Canterbury. In the interval Elizabeth returned to teaching at Lyttelton, taking the infant Sam into the classrooms with her. Later, she taught at St. Michael’s school in Christchurch.

After his return from Australia, John and his family moved to a 20-acre farm in the Papanui area and when they decided to move to Woodend’ about 1857, John thought his fortune was made when the Papanui property brought £2O an acre.

Other brothers of John Horrell were attracted to Canterbury through the influence of John and Eliza-

beth, who made their house a home for the others as they arrived. Two brothers, Edward and James, arrived about 1856, and another brother George, and his wife, in 1880, a sister, Mary Anne, and her husband, 'William Reed, a blacksmith, settled at Saltwater Creek and later took up a farm at Oxford. At Woodend John combined farming with work in the sawmills. He also found time to make long excursions on foot across the plains in search of land better suited to his methods of farming. This he found in the West Eyreton district on a part of Murphy’s run, called Ryder flat, after a shepherd, who was stationed there.

The pioneer took up a 500acre block in 1862 and worked it from Wood end until he built a shed. Into this the family, now of seven children, moved in 1863 while work continued on the building of a house. The family transferred to the house although it was still in an unfinished state, and in 1866 in a room without glass in the windows, and with snow on the ground outside, Elizabeth Horrell gave birth to her eighth child, Frederick (Mr F. G. Horrell), now 99, who is the oldest member of the Horrell family and the only surviving child of the pioneer couple. At the time the pioneers left for New Zealand, John’s parents had a farm, Morchard Bishop, called “Moore,” and this name he transferred to New Zealand, when he named his new West Eyreton property “Moore Barton,” by i which name the property is still known. Barton is an old Devon name meaning “enclosed space,” and John Horrell included the word in the name of his property as it was the first, in an extensive area of run country, to be closed in. Name Perpetuated The Horrell name has been perpetuated as a place name in Canterbury in the form of Horrelville. Although some reference books have stated that the pioneer John Horrell gave his name to the district. Mr F. G. Horrell says that such was not the case. I When the first train ran up the former Eyreton line to Bennetts Junction, the local station was still without a name. Residents who had gathered to celebrate the occasion decided on “Korrell's Ville,” which was subsequently shortened to its present form. As well as their name being used to denote the district in Canterbury, where members of the family have lived for more than 100 years, the Horrells have made their mark in other directions. They have contributed to farming progress and they have been active in church, | local body, and commercial ! affairs.

The pioneer, John Horrell, entered local body affairs in 1870, becoming a foundation member of the West Eyreton Road Board. This interest has been sustained by his sons, Messrs F. G. and H. J. Horrell. and grandon, Mr J. E. Horrell, in Canterbury', while other members of the Horrell family in other parts of New Zealand have played their part also. Messrs F. G. and H. J. Horrell served on the road board also for a long period, and

then on the Eyre CountyCouncil, which replaced it, Mr F. G. Horrell being chairman of the council for nearly six years. As well, Mr F. G. Horrell was associated with other local bodies such as the Waimakariri-Ashley Water Supply Board and the Waimakariri River Trust and with a number of commercial concerns, particularly those associated with primary products, being a director of some.

A cousin of Mr F. G. Horrell, Mr F. Horrell (also Frederick) was the first chairman of the Rangiora County Council, holding office for 13 years, and he was also chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. With a break of three years from 1959-62, Mr J. E. Horrell has been chairman of the Eyre Council since 1941. and he is a member of the Canterbury Museum Trust Board.

The pioneer, John Horrell was among the first in the province to show the value of turnips as a grazing fodder on light land. With his sons he carried out extensive experiments in wheat growing, an activity that continues today on the Horrell land at Horrelville, where trials are conducted in association with the Department of Agriculture and the Wheat Research Institute.

Two others members of the Horrell family, Messrs J. and W. Horrell, descendants of James Horrell, founded the Rangiora garage and machinery business now known as Horrells Harvester Service, Ltd.