John Heslop 1812-1894

JOHN HESLOP – 1812-1894

John Heslop was born in 1812 in Corsenside, Northumberland, England. At one time he was a caretaker and had charge of some 200 horses of the Ridsdale Ironworks. He also was a miner at Netherton, near Newcastle.

He married Ann Richardson in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Newcastle in 1837 and they had 5 children, John Jnr, twins George and William, Ann (known as Annie), and Elenor. 1851 Census information shows that their children were born in various places in the Northumberland, Durham area. His wife Ann died (date unknown between 1851-1853) .

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

John Heslop   Head   M   38   Corsenside, Northumberland
Ann Heslop   Wife   F   35   Birtley, Northumberland
John Heslop   son   M   12   Kibblesworth, Durham
William Heslop   Twins son   M   5   Lanchester, Durham
George   Twins Son   M   5   Lanchester, Durham
Ann Heslop   Daughter   F   2   Corsenside, Northumberland

John married Elizabeth Jane Varray (known as Jane) in 1854. They emigrated to New Zealand on the clipper Indian Queen from Liverpool in November 1856, arriving in Wellington on 30^th January 1857.

http://www.familytreecircles.com/indian-queen-28081.html

Chart –

John Heslop – 1812-1894

Joseph Heslop
Deceased

Eleanor Nichol
Deceased

John Heslop
1812-1894

Ann Richardson
1815 – Deceased

John Heslop
1838 – Deceased

Jane Isabella Steel
1851 – 1873

George Heslop
1845 – Deceased

William Heslop
1845 – Deceased

Mary Ann Waldrom
1847 – 1925

Robert Wellwood
Deceased

Ann Heslop
1849 – 1881

Eleanor Heslop
1851 – 1860

On arrival in New Zealand, his first employment was on the roads from Lower Hutt to Waiwetu [Waiwhetu]. He worked on a small farm near the Hutt Bridge for Mrs Bircham. He moved up to Central Hawke’s Bay and managed Purvis Russell’s Woburn run until 1859 and later went to work for on Mr Thomas Lowry’s Okawa run for a year.

In 1867 John leased a run of 1100 acres at Puketapu from Karaitiana and soon turned his lease into a freehold title. He bought the freehold through R D Maney at an agreed price of £1,260. This was settled, not in money, but in payment of accounts. Paoro, the main owner, claimed that, for the land he received only shirts, trousers, blankets, sugar, 4 boxes of gin, 3 cases of brandy, 3 cases of pale brandy and £36 in money. He acquired other blocks in the district and built up a very large estate.

Te Kooti once worked for him and was in charge of men draining the property.

In 1860 the district was in the throes of the Maori War and camps were built and redoubts formed at Waipawa and Hampden. In 1863 when the war in the Waikato was in progress, John took up a contract for the cartage of camping gear. The river beds were the roads in those days and the [to] reach Peka Peka (Risssington) the river Tutaekuri and Mangahana [Mangaohane] had to be crossed 14 times, which to get to the old Tunanui [Tuna Nui] station, the river had to be crossed 40 or 50 times.

John and Jane lived at the bottom of the Puketapu pa site which is the first hill on the right as you turn into Springfield road from Puketapu Rd. The foundations of the house can be seen, it burned down.

In 1866 the Battle of Omaranui [Omarunui] happened across the river and family legend tells of Jane (his second wife) hiding the younger children under the riverbank while the battle raged on above. This battle only lasted 1 day and a memorial commemorating this is in Omaranui Road, ironically just down from the homestead that son William bought later.

In 21st October 1863 John Heslop submitted a first notice in the Hawke’s Bay Herald advising the proposal of an establishment of a school in the Puketapu neighbourhood. He was on the first School Committee. He promises the land for Puketapu School. In 1864 the land is purchased from John Heslop. In 1880 he signs a 99 year lease with the Board for the school site.

Johns twin sons, George and William, took a lease on Chesterhope. The land area then was around 1440 acres. John snr began to farm cattle on the property in the 1870’s. John jnr began breeding racehorses. William was living in the homestead, parts of which apparently still remain in the present homestead, from about the mid-1870s.

In 1881, George bought William’s share of Chesterhope for 15,000 (2017: $2.478 million). During 1882 horse trainer, J R Jones leased stables at Chesterhope to train racehorses. That year the nearby Tutaekuri and Ngaruroro Rivers flooded Chesterhope. The flood caught out George Heslop and shepherd Martin O’Shanessy [O’Shaughnessy?] on their horses in a creek, and both fell into

the water. Martin was swept to his death, but George’s horse carried him to safety as he managed to grip onto the saddle.

It would be the first of many floods that would cause thousands of stock losses, and human life. The financial difficulties of Chesterhope meant in 1888 the property was forcibly sold to Mr Davies. The property was listed as having a 10-roomed house – the present house – a men’s cottage, stables and shearing sheds in addition to other outbuildings.

Davies sold out to the Nelson brothers, probably after the 1897 flood. This flood wrought havoc at Pakowhai and ruined many farmers, destroying all their plant and stock. William Nelson shopped around and bought in many of their properties at this time. He put in as manager his son-in-law John Lane. in 1909 the estate was bought by the Fernie family. Chesterhope homestead has been bequeathed by the estate of the late Jane [Joan] Fernie to be a hospice to serve the people of Hawke’s Bay.

(more information in article by Michael Fowler HB Today – Flooding a long-running issue with Chesterhope)
[http:]//www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-baytoday/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11947452 [link no longer available]

William bought Omaranui of 4000 acres from John Bennett in 1880. This was across the river from his father’s property. He joined this to his father John’s property and father and son became partners in the whole estate. They grazed 11,000 sheep, 300 head of cattle and 40 horses. They cleared the wilderness.

Their success came to an end when William undertook an ambitious project, the draining of the Moteo swamp land at Puketapu. After he had invested too heavily in the scheme, he found he had no outlet for his drainage water, a dam controlling water to drive a flour mill blocked his only possible channel. The dam was on Maori land controlled by G.P. Donnelly and the Heslops were not able to get it removed. If you go down Swamp Rd towards Fernhill you will see the deep drains on the left that were dug by William that came to an abrupt end near to the river.

In 1898 financial difficulties necessitated the sale of Omarunui. The Bank then foreclosed on the Heslops and the estate was put up for auction. It was expected that there would be many bidders but there was only one syndicate, who cut up the run and divided it amongst themselves. Hon. J.D Ormond, T.H Lowry took the swampy block and part of the hill country, while the Hon J.D. Ormond took the part going towards the Horopiko [Korokipo] road. William Kinross White took the homestead area of 800 acres and in 1900 went to live there.

As John had invested in the scheme with William the failure of it caused a great rift within the family with George stating he would never speak to his brother again. Jane, who was unaware of Johns involvement, swore that she would not lie with him in the cemetery, therefore she was buried in Puketapu Church Cemetery.

John died in 1894 and was buried with full Maori honours on the top of the original Puketapu pa site in Springfield Rd near Puketapu. The site commands a great view up the river. Also buried with him is his brother Thomas who died on 9 March 1889 at the age of 74 years.

DEATH

HESLOP. – At Puketapu, on September 7th, John Heslop, aged 82 years. – Hawera papers please copy.

The funeral will take place at 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon. Friends please accept this intimation.

DEATH

HESLOP. – At Puketapu, on March 8^th, Thomas Heslop, aged 74 years.

DEATH.
HAWKE’S BAY HERALD TRIBUNE VOLUME XXIV, ISSUE 8309, 11 MARCH 1889

ELIZABETH JANE HESLOP – 1903 [1815] -1898

(85 years)

The Star. [Published Daily.) SECOND EDITION. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1898. News and Notes. HAWERA & NORMANBY STAR, VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 3785, 2 MARCH 1898

The Herald says:- An old Hawke’s Bay identity, Mrs Elizabeth Heslop, relict of the late John Heslop, passed away on Friday last, and was yesterday laid to rest in the Puketapu cemetery. The late Mrs Heslop, who was 85 years of age came from the north of England with her husband in 1856, and resided in Wellington about 18 months. Since then she has continuously lived in Hawke’s Bay, first at Woburn then at Okawa, after which she took up her residence with her husband at Puketapu.

The deceased was highly respected by a large circle of country friends, and leaves a grown-up family to mourn their loss. Mr John Heslop (County Chairman) is a step-son.

The Star. [Published Daily.) SECOND EDITION. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1898. News and Notes. HAWERA & NORMANBY STAR, VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 3785, 2 MARCH 1898

The ranks of the old identities, the pioneers of Hawke’s Bay, are rapidly thinning , another well-known resident, in the person of Mrs Elizabeth Heslop, of Puketapu, having passed away at the advanced age of 85 years. The deceased lady enjoyed the best health up to a short while before her death, when she was seized with influenza. She appeared to have recovitation.vered, however, and yesterday morning was preparing to drive into town when she was seriously ill, death taking place at about 11 o’clock. The late Mrs Heslop, who died in September, 1894, arrived at Wellington from the Old Country in 1856, and after residing in the Wairarapa district for about twelve months, she moved north, being at Messrs Purves Russell’s (Waipukurau) and Lowry’s (Okawa) previous to settling at Puketapu. The deceased brought up a large family, the late Mrs Robert Wellwood being a daughter. Of the sons John is a farmer at Manaia, George follows ths same occupation near Woodville, and William resides on the Puketapu estate. The greatest sympathy will be felt for them in their bereavement. The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon at 1.30, and will no doubt be largely attended by settlers from all parts of the district.

The Herald says: – an old Hawke’s Bay identity, Mrs Elizabeth Heslop, relict of the late Mr John Heslop, passed away on Friday last, and was yesterday laid to rest in the Puketapu cemetery. The late Mrs Heslop, who was 85 years of age came from the north of England with her husband in 1856, and resided in Wellington about 18 months. Since then she has continuously lived in Hawke’s Bay, first at Woburn then at Okawa, after which she took up her residence with her husband at Puketapu.

The deceased was highly respected by a large circle of country friends, and leaves a grown-up family to mourn their loss. Mr John Heslop (County Chairman) is a step-son.