SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1932 JOHN TINLINE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 February 1932, Page 6

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1932 JOHN TINLINE

A GOOD deal lias been written in this column from time to lime of men who were prominent figures in Nelson at the time of the Settlement’s foundation, ninety years ago, but no great space has been devoted to Nelsonians of later times. One of the most interesting figures, some thirty years ago, was John Tinline, who was a connecting link with the pioneers who came out in the first ships. Indeed, he arrived in Now Zealand in 1839, and was closely associated with this country till the day of his death, some sixty-seven years

afterwards. Though he entered a horse in the first, races held in Nelson, Ist February, 1843—the course was “from Trafalgar street, round tho Church Hill by the east and soutli to the Waimea road” —he does not seem to have stayed in Nelson for more than a few of those early years, because he was in Wellington at the time of the big earthquake there, in the ’fifties, which wrecked every masonry building in the town, including a large brick warehouse belonging to John Tinline and his partner, both of whom were ruined, for the time being. But the years were young and the country was wide and, cutting his losses. John Tinline acquired rights over a considerable area of land at the Cheviot, and that seems to have been the beginning of the good fortune which followed him through the rest of his iong life. Two things he loved —travelling and idling stories of the early days in New Zealand and of his travels in all parts of the world. Altogether he must have voyaged round tho world eight or nine times and, possessing a memory which was extremely good, the tales he told were intensely interesting. In spite of all his wanderings, ho always declared that he would spend the evening of his life in Nelson, and fulfilled his intention. Hero ho had a largo circle of friends, and they were happy in listening to his account of his experiences —in South America, ,in South Africa, in Canada, the Far East, and Europe. But the best stories he had to tell were of the early days in New Zealand, and most of all he loved to talk of the Maoris of those times. One of his best tales was of his experiences with a war-party which set out from Wanganui to fight with the natives of Taupo, in 1839, but ended, as a matter of fact, in a friendly reunion between the two tribes. “So you see,” said John Tinline, “I got all the thrill of savage warfare, without any of its bloodshed.”

lie always said, when in the full tide of his active life, that if he had a home it was ill Nelson. About tlie year 1896 lie arrived here from one of his travels round the world, and said: “I shall roam no more. I shall settle down here, in comfortable quarters, and write my reminiscences. And they should be interesting by Jupiter ! —for I saw the beginning of things in New Zealand, and there wasn’t one of the prominent men among the pioneers that I didn’t know—all the four Wakefields, Domett, Monro, Angelo Bell, Tuckett, Edward Stafford, Dillon, England, Cottereli, Shortland, everyone except that pestilent fellow, Governor Fitzroy, with whom I refused to have anything to do.” And when ho was asked how he was getting on with his memoirs, he would say: “I’ve found myself comfortable quarters at Warwick House, which was my friend Nathaniel Edwards’s old place, and am well looked after. 1 must get all my affairs into order, so that everything will be clear and plain for my executors, who are my two nephews, Murray and Arthur Tinline, and then I'll begin to write down my recollections of the early days. And they will be interesting, by thunder!—for my memory is very clear, and I shall tell exactly what occurred, and some of the men of those days who Thought they were very great will seem very small, and some of those who pretended to lie nothing particular will be shown to be tlie best men we had. He !he ! I’ll show things in their proper iight. Yes, by Jimmy!” Everyone imagined, therefore, that the good work was going forward, and that in due course John ’1 inline’s invaluable reminiscences of the early days would be in the hands of the public; for be was an eminently practical man, who could be relied on to do as he said.

And so the tranquil days went by, and the venerable wanderer, who had left the Lowlands of Scotland when he was a young man, and was one of those who helped to found the Colony of South Australia, and then helped to found the Colony of New Zealand, came to his last anchorage here in Nelson in the quiet eventide of his long life. In the late ’nineties the important work of making the Rocks Road was being completed, and John Tinline was much interested in it. “But,” he said, “the wail must have some protection on the top of it. The little boys will be running along the top cf the wall, and will fall into the water, ana be drowned ! There must be some iron posts and chains along the top of the wall, and some spikes on the chains, or the little brats will be swinging on the chains, and tumble into the water.” When it was pointed out that such an addition to the work would cost a good deal of money, he replied: “1 didn’t suppose it could bo done for nothing. If the City Council can’t see its way to do the work, I’ll do it myself.” And he did it, except that his friend Mr Tyler (whose father was the New Zealand Company’s agent in London, in the early days) contributed a small sum for the completion of the work, which cost more than was anticipated. “But there is one thing,” said John Tinline, “the standards and chains must not be allowed to rust. The City Council must keep them well painted. But 1 can trust the people to see that that is done.” His private benefactions, too, were considerable. Many a “good turn” lie did to those who needed it. Though he could not bo said to be a lavish spender, nevertheless he would always encourage what ho believed to be a genuine enterprise which promised material results. It was in that spirit that ho gave his support to the Taitapu Estates Company which was instrumental in opening up the Golden Blocks mine, which proved to bo highly profitable, and would have been much more so but for the small interest which the directors (all of whom were in London, and none of whom visited the mine) appeared to take in the property. “I don’t like putting money into gold mines,” said John Tinline, “because they mean putting my money into the hands of other people who may mismanage it. I prefer to invest it in things which I can look after myself. Nevertheless he had invested money in all sorts of countries, during his travels in all parts of the world, including the Kimberley diamond mines, which proved to bo immensely profitable, lie was never married, but had many godsons. The friends of his

earlier years had evidently thought that for their sons to possess a substantial godfather, such as John Tinline, who had no encumbrances of his own, might stand them in good stead some day. And so it did. For in the eve of his long and activo life, when John Tinline had brought his ship to anchor here in Nelson, he invited such of his godsons as were in Nelson and Marlborough to dine with him. There were six or seven of them, and when they sat down to dinner on each of their plates was an envelope, and in each envelope was a cheque for £SOO.

But to return to the book of reminiscences which he was to write. Whereever lie went he was full of the most interesting stories and anecdotes of tho early days and of the people who, like himself, had helped to found New Zealand. Everyone hoped and expected that all these stories and anecdotes were being preserved in the book of reminiscences which they imagined he was writing. One day one of his friends went to call on him, and said, “Well, Mr Tinline, and how is the book of your recollections getting on?” “Tho book of my recollections? 1 ' said the old man. “What do you mean? Here is my book of recollections,” ho said, taking a small leather-bound book from a drawer. “Look at it. It contains details of all my investments in all parts of the world —all tabulated and arranged under their separate dates, so that I know exactly whore I stand. And every I and my secretary know exactly what letters we have to write. I am putting everything into perfect order, so that my executors may know as much about my affairs as I do.” “Yes,” said his friend, “but when you have done with your business every morning, why not dictate some story or anecdote or reminiscence to your secretary, and so preserve in writing immensely interesting details of the founding of tho settlements of Nelson, Wellington, Wanganui, New Plymouth and the rest, which otherwise will be lost?” “My dear sir,” said the benignant, white-haired veteran, “when I have finished with my business accounts and letters of a morning, at my age I have had enough of writing for the day. My first duty is to leave all my affairs in apple-pie order.” And so the reminiscences were never written, and a great wealth of anecdotes, recollections, stories, and word-pictures of tho pioneers who founded New Zealand was lost. Not long after that the old man slipped quietly out of life. There were those who, while he was with them, could have written down his sayings and stories, but they imagined that he was doing the work himself in the mythical book which was never written. As regards the other book, it is to be hoped that his executors found his affairs in the perfect order in which he certainly desired to leave them. Report said that they found great difficulty in tracing his investments in all sorts of places throughout the globe, but they certainly traced a great deal, for his gleanings throughout his long life filled a large garner. There is in the Nelson City Council Chambers a good photograph of John Tinline, which shows him as he was in his last years, a kindly, benevolent, shrewd, man of the world, who lived his long life with zest, and had a great love for this City of Nelson, which he helped to found.