MR HARPER’S EARLY LIFE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20045, 7 September 1920, Page 7

MR HARPER’S EARLY LIFE.

Air Harper, wlto was-a brother of Dean Harper and Mr George Harper, of Christchurch, was born in Eton’, Buckinghamshire. Ho was educated at llossal Hall, and at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. In .1865 ho arrived at Auckland by the ship Duke of Portland in which Bishops SelwyiA and Pattoson were also passengers. Air Harper was at St John’s College, Auckland, for a time under Bishop Selwyn, but two years later, on the arrival in New Zealand of Ids people, ho came, south id Canterbury, and took up the Malvern Hills mid Rake Coleridge runs, and afterwards farmed at Brackenficld, Amberley. for ten years. During a very active life ho occupied numerous public offices Ho was one of the first Justices of the Peace, and sat in the Provincial Council. Air Harper was married twice. His first wife was a daughter of tho lato Archdeacon Wilson. In February, 1868, he was married to Aliss Cracroft, a first cousin of the late Sir Oracr.ot’t Wilson, and there wore three children of the marriage, Messrs Henry John’ Cracroft Harper, and Air Godfrey Harper, who are both, farming at Ashburton, and Airs Anm-del-Napicr, who came out from England some little time ago to see her father, and returned two mouths ago.