John Davidson and Jane Tait Little - Our Direct Ancestors - my generation’s ggg grandparents

Henry Little and Margaret Tait’s daughter, Jane Tait Little was born on the 1st of December, 1844, probably at ‘Courhope’ in the Scottish Borders, as discussed in a separate post.

Portrait of Jane Tait Little

John Davidson was born on the 19th of September, 1839 at ‘Cleuchheads’, Dryfesdale, Dumfries, southern west Scotland. His parents were Richard Davidson, born on the 24th of June, 1811, at ‘Dinnabie’, Middlebie in Dumfries and Elizabeth Boyes, born on the 22nd of November, 1813 at Fishbeck, Applegarth in Dumfries. Richard and Elizabeth were married at Applegarth in Dumfries.

Richard was the son of James Davidson, born circa 1776 and Agnes Curruthers.

John Davidson and Jane Tait Little married on the 4th of April, 1862 at ‘Earlshaugh’, Tweedsmuir, Peebles, Scotland. According to one source, John Davidson came to New Zealand on the ship the ‘Helenslee’ landing in Port Chalmers at age of 20, which would have been 1859, before he was married. Another source, however, states that the earliest voyage the ‘Helenslee’ made to New Zealand was in 1863. I have not found Jane nor John’s name on any passenger lists to date, so we can’t be certain. I believe they immigrated to New Zealand after they were married on the ‘Helenslee’ arriving at Port Chalmers on the 23rd of October,1863. Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate a full list of the passengers arriving in Otago on this vessel, so I can not confirm this passage.

John Davidson

John and Jane’s children included:

1. Margaret Tait Munro - born on the 6th of June, 1862 at Dussfauld, Tundergarth; married John P. Munro at Otepopo; died on the 13th of August 1931 in Oamaru

2. Elizabeth - born on the 11th of December, 1865 at Herbert, Otepopo (Reg # 1866/29883) - our direct ancestor - more about her in the following section

3. Richard - born on the 22nd of January, 1867 at Otepopo (Reg # 1867/30183); died on the 22nd of June 1944, in Oamaru

4. Jane Tait Gibson - born on the 11th of May, 1869 at Otepopo; married James Gibson on the 12th of August, 1891at Ngapara; died on the 19th of March, 1907 at Frasertown, in the Hawkes Bay

5. Mary Munro - born on the 6th of January, 1872 at Otepopo; married Reginald A Munro on the 28th February, 1907 at Kurow; died on the 21 October 1956 at Kurow

6. possibly Jean - born during 1876

7. Ellen (Nellie) Fraser - born on the 4th of December, 1876 at Hampden (Reg # 1876/4086); married Angus Fraser on the 13th of May 1909 at Kurow; died on the 25th of October 1962 in Oamaru

John worked primarily as a shepherd. According to some sources, he worked for 15 years as a shepherd at Moeraki station. He was definitely in the vicinity by 1867, when John had the misfortune of discovering a missing person’s body, as reported on page 3 of the North Otago Times on the 6th of December. According to the article John had been mustering his sheep at the ‘farthest extremity of Mount Misery, near the source of the Otepopo river’.

John’s name appears on the original survey map of the Crown Grant Index Record Map of Otepopo, dated July 1861. Like the Paterson’s he must have applied for this land before leaving Scotland. This land was sections 44 to 46 and 2 of 47 of Block 8, and is to the west of Herbert on the western edge of what is now the Herbert Forest. Interestingly James Little’s name was on the Crown Grant Index Record Map as owning the land opposite and I wonder if he was Jane Tait Little’s brother who went onto develop the Corriedale sheep? I haven’t had the opportunity to look further into this at this stage.

From what I have learnt about John Davidson, he was a bit of a wheeler and dealer, and this land was a prime example. An advertisement placed in the North Otago Times during May, 1876 gives notice that John applied to purchase these sections along with section 53. This suggests he had already sold them and then bought them back. Just over a year later he had decided to sell this land again and advertised it in the North Otago Times during June of 1877. The historical rate records state that John then leased these sections from Medland Newsham in 1878 and then John owned these same sections again in 1879.

Advertisement in Oamaru Mail 24 March 1885

John was involved in a couple other land dealings as reported by the Oamaru Mail in February 1882, when he sold sections 35 to 42, and section 46 of Block 20, considered suburban property ‘containing 76 acres 1 rood and 12 poles’ at $6 10s an acre.

From what I understand however, John’s main dealings were in livestock. Take 1882 as an example, when some that I have been able to find evidence of include:

January - sheep sold for 10s 3d

May - sheep sold for ‘quoted amount’

May - 7 steers and heifers sold for up to £3 12s 6d

May - 183 crossbred sheep sold for 11s to 11s 6d

May - 104 crossbred sheep sold for 11s 3d to 12 s 6d

June - 40 crossbred sheep sold for 13s and 71 sold for 13s and 14s

June - 108 crossbred sheep sold for 11s 9d to 14s 6d

June - 143 crossbred sheep sold for 11s to 11s 6d

July - 186 sheep sold for 11s to 14s 6d

September - draughts of sheep sold at ‘market price’

All this wheeling and dealing must have earned John some respect though, as he was often called upon to judge sheep at the Agricultural and Pastoral shows throughout Otago and South Canterbury. His speciality seemed to be the breeds Lincoln and Romney Marsh.

According to McKenzie (1989, p. 34) from 1873, John leased ‘Reay Farm’ (sections 111, pts 112, 113 of Block 5) owned by the Cormacks. This property is on the eastern side of Double Hill Road towards the bottom of the hill, rapid number 246. Also at this time John also leased sections 45 to 48 of Block 3 and sections 91, pt 92, 112 of Block 5, owned by Duncan Mains, and this land shared boundaries with ‘Mussel Farm’ owned by John and later Anthony Paterson.

Reay Farm as it looks today, at 246 Double Hill Road

The Davidsons were based at ‘Reay Farm’ until 1885, when Jessie Cormack’s nephews, the McMillans took over the property. Our ancestor, Elizabeth lived here as an 8 year old girl till she was 20 years old, so she would have known this property well.

During his time in Otepopo, John served on the Otepopo Road Board, at least from 1874 to 1878. He had also been involved in the Copmanhurst subdivision till 1876 when he tendered his resignation.

During 1887 to 1889, the year Elizabeth married John Paterson, the Davidson’s leased sections 110, 2 of 107, of Block 5 owned by Adam Anderson. This property was next to and up from ‘Reay Farm’ on Double Hill Road. Between 1890 and 1892, John Davidson was paying the rates for Section 45 of Block 7 and Section 7, of Block 8 owned by Marshall Agnes and this appears to be to the west of Frew Road on the west side of Herbert.

In July 1891, the Oamaru Mail reported the assets and liabilities in the estate of John Davidson. His liabilities included;

N.Z.L and M.A. Company £57 6s

Public Trust in Marshall’s Estate £21 6s

J. Johnstone £16 10s

Adam Anderson £12

North Otago Times £5 4s

Fleming and Hedley £3

Christie and Co. £26

His assets included 3 cows, 3 calves and sundries valued at £10 15s and furniture worth £15. The deficiency was £90. Consequently in July 1891, John was declared bankrupt. In the announcement John was described as a farmer and dealer. He filed a petition to be adjudged and a meeting of the creditors was held in the Oamaru Courthouse on the 17th of July, 1891. The report of this meeting makes enlightening reading, and reinforces his occupation as a dealer as well as a farmer. I have transcribed part of the article below:

‘In reply to the Asignee, bankrupt, sworn, stated he had handed over to A. Robertson 2 horses, spring cart, and harness as security. Robertson undertaking to endorse his (bankrupt’s) bill to Christie. The bill was due about August 28th. One horse was handed over before the bill was endorsed, the balance afterwards. It was an absolute sale, and he gave a receipt for £26 for the lot. Johnstone’s account was for potatoes. He purchased about 23 tons at 36s per ton. He had paid to Johnstone $23. He purchased 500 sheep, the price of which was about £164. The balance of the sheep were sold in Oamaru by Fleming and Hedley and Christie and Co. When he sent the potatoes to Dunedin, he intended them to go to a separate account. He was then going to pay the proceeds to Johnstone, less his own charges. The proceeds of the sheep sold in Oamaru were sent by his order to the Farmers’ Agency Company by Fleming and Hedly and Christie. He purchased some cattle from Scott, and Christie paid for them, taking his bill endorsed by Roberston in payment. he purchased from the Mutual Agency Company, and the Farmers’ Agency paid the account. He was not buying on his own account, but purchased for the Farmers’ Agency. He had disposed of his plant to Robertson before the N.Z.L and M.A. Company summoned him. He had sold no stock since the Company got judgement against him. The horse he was riding belonged to his girl. The horses and dray and harness belonged to his wife. She got the chestnut mare form her brother. The day and harness she got from her son. He was a sort of agent for the Farmers’ Agency Company. The potato purchases were a private matter. He told the bailiff at the yards that the sheep belonged to the Agency Company and that he was their drover. He got a commission of 5 per cent on profit sales, but had to make good any loss. His first loss was on lambs purchased from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and on 10 horses. He lost £3 a head on them. He gave up Marshall’s land on May 1st.’

It must have been a tough time for the Davidson’s especially with their third daughter, Jane getting married the following month. They managed to remain in Otepopo until 1894, when John entered the service of Edward Menlove, at Windsor Park, located on the north side of 960 Weston-Ngapara Road, Elderslie, where he was employed for nearly ten years.

In June 1902, the Davidsons eventually settled at ‘Newfield Farm’ at Kurow Creek, with John at last owning his own sheep farm. The property consists of 208 acres of freehold land, and he also owned seventy acres further up the hill. I am not entirely sure where ‘Newfield Farm’ was, but the Kurow river is bridged at ‘Western House’ on state highway 83, on the outskirts of Kurow, so I presume it would be in this vicinity. The family was here for at least 10 years till 1912. Jane and John were living at Caledonian Road in Oamaru, when their granddaughter Elizabeth (Lill) Munro Jones died in 1917.

Four Generations: Jane Tate Little (seated) with her daughter Elizabeth Boyes Paterson nee Davidson, grandson Gordon Paterson and great granddaughter, Dulcie Paterson circa 1928 - all our direct ancestors

John Davidson died on the 10th of August, 1922 at the age of 83. Jane Tait Little died on the 16th of October, 1931, at the age of 86. They are buried in old Oamaru Wesleyan cemetery in Block 120, plots 7 and 8.