EARLY DAYS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 2 September 1937, Page 4

EARLY DAYS

PIONEER SETTLER’S PASSING MR ARTHUR CIIAYTOR I OLD MAUNGATAPU TRACK TRAVERSED With Ihe death on Wednesday morn mg (as reported in yesterday’s issue) of Mr Arthur Chaylor, at the age of 94 there passed away one of the Dominion’s early colonists and one of tin Marlborough district’s oldest and mosi widely respected residents (reports the "Express”). The late Mr Chaytor was born in 1843 and was a son of the late Mi John Clervaux Chaytor, of Croft near the boundary of Yorkshire and Durham. In company with his brofilers Edward and John, the late Mi Arthur Chaytor decided that New Zealand probably held greater opportunities for them than England, but Mr Arthur Chaytor. acting on the advici of his father, settled down to learn farming for a year while his brother? sailed for the Dominion and settled near Kekerangu. where Mr J. D. Tetley, who came from Ihe same part of England, had taken up a large holding CAME OUT IN THE WILD DUCK In 1862 the laic Mr Chaytor, embarking on the Wild Duck for Wellington, had an uneventful voyage ol about four months, but his introduction to the new land was not a happy one for he learned on his arrival that hi? 1 brother Edward had died at Covcrham a few days previously. He joined his remaining brother at Coverham and took over the routine work on the cattle run, among other things building a house for his brother. Not long afterwards he left on a trip to England returning in 1870 in the Inflexible, then cne of the latest ships, constructed in steel. W A CAM ARINA GOLD RUSH Mr Chaytor took part in the first Wakamarina gold rush, of which, in his later years he often had interesting j stories to relate, and he also vividly | remembered the days of the Maunga- I lapu murders, one of his recollections being of how he had travelled the trail through to Nelson soon after the crimes and had seen the broken twigs, just beginning to wither, at the side of I the track, where the gang had pusned cne of their victims’ pack horses over the edge of the bank. FARMING IN NELSON In 1872 the late Mr Chaytor severed his connection with Coverham and went to Nelson, where he bought a farm of his own and engaged in.gene- | ral farming pursuits, one branch of | his activities being flax dressing. For some tune, also, he was engaged in flax dressing in the'North Island, and he established a large mill at Makatu. near Tauranga. He again left New Zealand for a trip to England in 1888. During his sojourn in Nelson the late Mr Chaytor took an active part ir. local body affairs, and he was a member of the old Nelson Highways Board, the body responsible, among other things, for the construction of the road over the Rai Saddle and of the road over the Takaka hills. He was a Member of the board when the adminisffatipn underwent a radical change, various road boards taking over the’ original, body’s, work. In 1911 the Ifft&i Mr Chaytor came to reside in Blenheim. where he lived in semi-retire-ment.

PIONEER MOTORIST

Ever since the. advent of the motorcar he took a keen interest in motoring and until only a few years ago was an accomplished driver. In the early days he owned a single cylinder Winton and he had many recollections of tours which he undertook on some of the North Island’s mountainous roads. Some years ago he was made, a life member of the Marlborough Automobile Association. The late Mr Chaytor, who is survived by his widow, will be widely mourned, for he had always been keenly interested in the advancement and progress of the district and during his long life he formed a wide circle of friends. He was an uncle of General Sir Edward Chaytor. A family of three sons and two daughters, by the late Mr Chaytor's first marrigae, is left—Mesdames Stafford (Wakefield), and Vaughan Miller (Henderson), and Messsr A. C. Chaytor (Auckland). W 11. Chaytor (Wakefield), and F. C. Chaytor (Waitetuna).