DEATH OF A PIONEER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6831, 19 April 1890, Page 4

DEATH OF A PIONEER.

ONE OF CANTERBURY'S FIRST

SETTLERS.

FIFTY YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Yesterday, at the Head of the Bay, Lyttelton, there expired probably the very oldest male Bettler in Canterbury, in the person of Mr Samuel Manson. Of late years it has been a by no means rare occurrence to read of the death of one or other of the settlers who came to these shoreß about the time of the arrival of the " first four ships," but Mr Ma'nson's arrival dates back many years previous to the arrival of that little band of hopeful immigrants who landed in Lyttelton during December of the year 1850, or indeed, perhaps, before the arrival of any colonists direct from the Mother Coumtry. Many of our readers will be able to imagine, but probably there are none who know, what Lyttelton or indeed Canterbury was in the year 1843. In 1838 a Company was formed in London to colonise New Zealand. It brought its claims before the House of Lords, by whom they were rejected. Subsequently a Bill was introduced into the House of Commons, which was also thrown out. The Company then (in June, 1839), put forth a prospectus and sold a quantity of land, sent out a survey party, and subsequently despatched twelve vessels with 21b* cabin and 909 steerage passengers to New Zealand, none of which were sent to Canterbury. Other difficulties arose between the Company and the Government, but with these we are not now dealing. The foregoing facts are given to show how close upon the first contingent of settlers was the arrival of the man who passed away yesterday. He was a native of Eiccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland, and came to Wellington some time in 1840. We have not been able to ascertain if he was one of the Aurora's passengers ; but the chances are that he was. From a book published some little time ago on the Early History oi Canterbury, together with other particulars gathered from one of the sons of the deceased, we are enabled to provide our readers with some facts connected with Mr Manson's arrival in these parts.

THE PARTY

consisted of three families, the Gebbie3, the Deans Brothers (John and William), and Manson himself. Tney left Wellington on Feb. 11, 1843, in a thirty-ton schooner belonging to Mr Sinclair, and after a passage of ten days, landed at Fort Levy. The reason for the shift of quarters was that they were by no means satisfied with the land they had purchased. William Deans, who had previously made a trip or two to the Plains (now the Canterbury Plains) was fully persuaded that sooner or later they would become the site for a large British settlement; consequently the party decided upon the change, Both Gebbie and Manson had their wives with them, and each was the father of three children. Upon arrival the women and children were left at Port Levy, with the late John Gebbie as protector, and the rest of the party sailed up the Avon in a whaleboat, after having made arrangements with the officials at Akaroa to take possession of certain lands in the vicinity of Potoringamotu, now Riccarton. The whaleboat was taken up the Avon as far as a spot called by the pioneers Bricks, where they landed some bricks for building chimneys. They then journeyed in a canoe to the large pool at a bend of the river (West of the Hospital), and finally got to Biccarton. There they pitched their tents, fvnd commenced to prepare for the reception of thoir families. Manson was head carpenter, and under his supervision was erected

TH|! FIEST HOUSE BUILT ON THE PLAINS. It stood until a very few years ago. It was built of wood, put together with wooden pegs, which were made iu the tent during the evenings, tlie nails haviug beeu unfortunately left behind at Wellington. In May the house was finished, and then the pioneers returned for the women and children, who were boated up the Avon in the same way as previously mentioned. The shed which was to shelter them through the winter was partitioned off into three apartments with blankets and sheets, and the two families took one each, the other room being occupied by the Messrs Deans.

Such is the brief history of the arrival in Canterbury of the party of Colonists to which Manson belonged, and which today is represented by only two of the party. Samuel Manson is the last of the male survivors, but the two women are still living at the Head of the Bay, within a short distance of each other.

THE FIEST CATTLE,

These early settlers at once commenced to cultivate the ground, and a quantity of stock was brought from New South Wales to Lyttelton in a vessel called the Princess Royal. They had been selected by Mr John Deans, who went to Newcastle for tho purpose. It was no easy matter to get the stock home after they were landed at Lyttelton — first the. hills to climb, and then the swamps and boggy creeks to encounter on'theplains. Butthe task though difficult was,like many others, accomplished^.' The flour from which their bread was made was ground by a small hand-mill, which turned out 401bs in the hour. In January of the following year they had broken in and milked twenty head of cattle, from which butter and cheese of excellent quality were made, and which obtained a high name in/'Sydney. They had also cleared a quantity of land and cropped it with cabbages, peas, potatoes and almost all varieties of vegetables. In two yearß* time, bo industrious were the pioneers, they had erected three houses, besides doing all the .work detailed. Manson's carpentering will yet stand inspection for strength and finish. The chief occupations were building, fencing, gardening and stockkeeping. Their sport was stock-riding, when the flocks or herds strayed, an occasional wild dog or wild pig hunt, duck shooting, &c. However, a very small percentage of their time was occupied in this way, for they had come as Colonists, and they put their shoulders to the wheel and worked with a will. In May, 1845,

THE PARTY BROKE UP, the Gebbie3 and Mansons going to the Head of the Bay, and the Deans Brothers remaining at Riccarton. It was a fine calm morning, forty-five years ago next month, that the two families left Riccarton, but fate was not so kind as to allow them to get to their new homes without some trouble. Before reaching the bar at Sumner a strong wind had risen, and the sea was very rough. The women and children were landed, and remained in a cave all night, hungry and cold ; and as the boat was being taken over the bar she capsized. William Deans, who was accompanying the party, saved his life by clinging to a box of tea. However, after meeting with other minor difficulties, the party arrived at the Head of the Bay and took up land, upon which both the Gebbies and Mansons have remained ever since.

Little remains to be said with reference to the subject of this notice. He continued . to do the work of farming, and never experienced a day's sickness in his life until about a week ago, when he caught a cold, which ended in inflammation of the lungs. He leaves behind him besides his wife, a family of seventeen grown-up sons and daughters, there being : ten of the former and seven of the latter. Of these fourteen are married, while the . remaining three are living at home. The j whole family, children and grandchildren, | number about a hundred and fifty. The three children who. arrived from Welling- j ton with their parents were two daughters and a son (Mrs Blatchford, Mrs Smith, i and the eldest, Robert). Strange to say, j nearly the whole of this large family ! remain at the Head of the Bay, where ' they own between them a large area of ; land. Deceased was seventy-five years of age, about fifty of which he has passed in , New Zealand.