A PIONEER FARMER.
H4TH BFfITHDAY CELEBRATED,
MEMORIES OF MR. W. F. MASSEY.
A pioneer farmer in the Auckland district, Mr. John Johns, will celebrate hisi 84th birthday to-day. Not only was h<> a pioneer farmer, but he was one of the first in the Dominion to appreciate the value of breeding high-class stock. With his wife, Mr. Johns is now residing in Pine Street, off Dominion Boad. Mr. Johns was born in West Putford, Devonshire, and farming experience in the county in his early yeura was later to prove valuable in ISew Zealand. He fame out in 1866 in the ship Jane Clifford, and soon afterwards found employ, inent, as manager of a farm at Penrose. Three years later ho commenced. farming on his own account at Mangere, remainnig there for about 20 year?., A near neighbour and a ii;ood friend in those days was the late Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, for whom Mr. Johns had the greatest, rt?;ard. "J. have often pitched hay on the t-.ne stack with Mr. Massey," he said. "He would never let anyone do .vn an J we often helped each other on the farms." Politics drew the friends apart, but never destroyed the friendship. Mr. Johns later purchased a farm of 350 acres at Pukekohe, working it successfully for a number of years. Hers he collected a very fine Jersey herd, and with cows and horses took many prizes at the Franklin show, of which he was vice-president- for a number of years, Eventually, Mr. Johns gave up the farm, arid settled on a small holding at, Te Awamutu. Since the war he ha 3 lived in retirement in Auckland. Of 12 children, nine are now living. They are Mr. T. W. Johns, Pukekohe, Mr. B. W. Johns, Whan gar ei; Mr. A E. Johns, Eureka; Mr. V. R. and Mr. A. 0. Johns, Auckland; Mrs. K. T. Wright, Bucklands; Mrs. H. McAdam, Mount Eden: Mrs. H. Curd, Pukekohe; and Mr«t. W. Melville, Te Awamutu. One ron was killed in the war. one in an accident, while another sen died when a baby There are ill grandchildren and oar great-grandcbildien. Mr. and Mrs. tfatdrV?-Hp a^ of
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19924, 18 April 1928, Page 8
Word Count
362A PIONEER FARMER. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19924, 18 April 1928, Page 8
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