His Story
James Blyth:Autpbiographical Notes
Mr James Blyth was born In Newport, Fifeshire, Scotland on 15th May 1837. He was educated at the Presbyterian School in his native town, and a t the Grammar School, St Andrews. On leaving school he was apprenticed t o a Master-Builder in order to learn the trade of a carpenter. At the end of his four-year apprenticeship he was retained as a journey man carpenter and continued to serve his employer in that capacity for six months, and then decided to leave the land of his birth for far New Zealand. He left London on fifth October 1858, in the ship “Strathallan” of five hundred and forty tons register. The passengers numbered two hundred and thirty-five souls including thirty-two children. The immigrants included farm laborers, general laborers, gardeners, shepherds, blacksmith carpenters, sawyers, bricklayers, tailors, painters, domestic servants and dressmakers. The voyage was full of interest. The French coast was sighted on the morning of the 17th and shortly afterwards the rough weather so often encountered in the Bay of Biscay was experienced. The weather was stormy with a high sea running and seasickness was general among the passengers. Running into finer weather they eventually reached the tropics and the ship became becalmed in the Doldrums. Fishing was indulged in here. A twelve months old shark was caught by the first mate, and the following morning the passengers were regaled with shark for breakfast fried in butter, and for tea on the same day shark stewed in vinegar. In order to interest those on board a ship's newspaper was published periodically, being usually read after dinner. As occasion offered, there were concerts, dances, deck games and entertainments by a scratch band. Very dirty weather was encountered in southern latitudes, and during time there was a good deal of bickering, discontent and fighting taking place among members of the Crew. During the voyage two woman and six children died and there were three births. On the morning of January 13th, New Zealand was distinctly visible and on a bearing taken at noon, it was calculated that the ship was thirty-five miles from land. The Ship arrived of Timaru on 14th January 1859. Timaru in those days was nothing but a whaling station. The buildings consisted of five houses, Mr Rhodes’s wool shed and an Accommodation house kept by Sam Williams. The country was a wilderness of tussock and flax. Owing to a lack of accommodation, James Blyth spent the first few nights under a flax bush with no other covering but for a blanket, and he continued the outdoor night life for a month. Two days after arrival he met Mr David Innes was in partnership with William Harrison in Pareora Station, a block of country of 25000 acres just south of the Pareora river. Mr Innes engaged James Blyth as a carpenter to co-operate with two other tradesmen in the construction of a wool-shed and house on that part of the run now known as Holmes station, the wages being 12s6d a day and found. On the completion of the wool-shed and the partial construction of the house, there was a shortage of timber, and rather than stand idle the carpenters left but agreed to return later to complete the work. James Blyth went down to the Waimate bush where he helped to build a sheep-dip and wash, and later built a dairy at Waihao for a former employee of Mr Innes. On finishing this work, he decided to see some of the countryside and he thereupon commenced a long walk to Dunedin. On reaching the Waitaki, he was faced with the difficulty of getting to the other side of the river in order to continue his tramp. Meeting a Maori, he discussed his difficulty and the native suggested the construction of a raft of koradi sticks and flax. Together they built a raft six feet by four feet, and the Maori poled the new colonist across the river. Navigation was difficult and tricky owing to the rapidly flowing water; but the native proved himself a past-master with the pole. On reaching the other side, the Maori declined to accept anything for the service he had rendered, and it was only after repeated efforts that Blyth prevailed on him to accept half a Sovereign for his trouble. The Waitaki plain was then a regular plaster of cabbage trees and flax. The Maori gave the pioneer directions as to his route, informing that after walking six miles he would reach Mr Filluel’s sheep station. He stayed at the station that night and walked into Oamaru, a distance of four miles, the following morning. Oamaru then consisted of a blacksmith’s shop, a carpenter’s shop and a few houses, the first hotel being at that time under construction. The traveler here inquired the way to Dunedin and continued on the even tenor of his way. The following morning he fell in with two sailors who had deserted from a ship previously when at Port Chalmers and who where then walking back to Port Chalmers ith a view securing a job on a returning vessel. The journey to Dunedin occupied a week. The party stayed one night with the Maoris at Waikoiti and slept out other nights. On reaching Port Chalmers they made a stay of one night at the hotel, and the following morning the party took passage in a boat to Dunedin. In 1859, Dunedin was a very small place, a couple of hotels, a few houses and several shops constituting the town at that time. James Blyth stayed here for a month then took passage for Oamaru on the steamer “Geelong”. On reaching Oamaru he proceeded on foot to a ford on the Waitaki river called Jimmy-the-needle’s crossing. He had to disgorge the sum of £1 in advance before Jimmy would put him across the river. A good swimming pony carried him across the river, and he then walked to Pike’s station, about eight miles north of the river, and stayed there the night. The following day he walked to Pareora Station, a distance of forty miles, and finding that additional supplies of timber had been secured by Messrs. Harris and Innes he resumed work the following morning and two months later had completed the work. James Blyth tendered for the construction of a house for Mr W.K. Macdonald, 0rari Station, and secured the contract. It was a house of five rooms which was liked up with the original slab house. It was completed to Mr Macdonald’s entire satisfaction in 1860. This was the beginning of James Blyth's association with W.K. Macdonald, but was destined to cover a number of years during which Mr Blyth Carried out extensive work for Mr Macdonald. Whilst James Blyth had the construction of W.K. Macdonald's the house in hand, he met the lady who was to be the sharer joys and sorrows over a long period of happy wedded life. Miss Alice Dunn the daughter of Thomas D unn who had a farm at Orari called the Stumps. On the completion of Macdonald's house James Blyth decided that he would give the "diggings" a go. He rode from Timaru up through the Lindus Pass to the diggings. He joined two other men in the working of a claim, put in plenty of work during a very hard winter there but without any luck, and returned to Timaru. He then commenced business as a Master-Builder and carried out extensive work in town and country. On 2nd May, 1863, he was united in Holy Matrimony with Alice Dunn at her father's home , The Stumps, Orari, the ceremony being performed by the first Anglican Vicar of Geraldine, the Rev. Lawrence Brown. The happy couple made their home in Timaru and continued to reside there for three years. Mr Blyth then secured a building contract at Orari and other contracts in the same location following which the Blyth's decided to move to Orari in order that Mr Blyth would be more conveniently placed to carry out the work . He purchased twenty acres of land on which he built a house which they made their home until the children became of school age when he sold out of the Orari property and returned to Timaru. The family lived in Timaru for several years, but the ever increasing contracts offering in Temuka town and district brought about another move and he came to Temuka in 1873 to make the town his permanent hone. In 1875 he decided to e large the sphere of his operations and to this end he commenced business as a Timber and Hardware merchant. A Man of substance, he began to take an active interest in municipal matters and played a prominent part in the formation and development of the town. For years he was chairman o f the Temuka Town Board, and he has been a Justice of the Peace for a long period of years. He has been an enthusiastic worker in the Presbyterian Church and gave of his best in all things calculated to further its good work. In 1894 he made a trip to the old country where he travelled a great deal before returning to New Zealand. In June 1922, after a happy association extend ing over fifty-nine years, a partnership commenced on 2nd May 1863 came to an end when Mrs Blyth passed away. Shortly after the sad event Mr Blyth retired from business in order to enjoy remaining years of life in peace and quiet. Well over ninety years of age, he is a living testimony t o the inestimable benefits gained by a life of rectitude and hard work