The Otepopo Patersons

John Paterson and Elizabeth Douglas - Our Direct Ancestors - my generation’s great great great great grandparents

John Paterson was Anthony Paterson and Jane Grecian’s third son. He was born on the 13th of December ,1800 in Beanley, Eglingham, Northumberland, England. He married Elizabeth Douglas on the 9th of November, 1827 at Thurso, Caithness, Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. Elizabeth Douglas was born during 1806 in Northumberland, England, and there is a little bit more information about her family in the ‘Scotland’ section.

John Paterson and Elizabeth Douglas had eight or possibly nine children. The children I have been able to find details of include:

1. Janet (Jannet) - born in 1829 or 1830 in Durness, Sutherland

2. Isabella Munro - born in 1830 in Durness, Sutherland or perhaps Farr, Caithness; many more details of Isabella, her husband Donald Munro and family in the following sections

3. Jane or Janet - born on the 7th of September, 1833 Achinah, Sutherland and christened on the 7th of October, 1833 in Eddrachillis or possibly Farr, Caithness

4. Helen Douglas - born on the 7th of June, 1835 in Eddrachillis, Sutherland and died on the 2nd of July, 1915 in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia; married Anthony Douglas in 1863; their children included:

• Mary Jane 1867-1901

• Thomas Anthony 1869 - ?

• Elizabeth 1869 - ?

• Margaret 1870 - 1945

• John Paterson 1871-1920

• Isabella 1891 - 1968

• Helen Mary 1891 - 1968

• Margaret 1892 - 1945

• Rubina Alice (Ruby) 1895 - ?

5. Anthony - born on the 28th of April, 1839 in Durness, Sutherland; many more details of Anthony, his wife Elizabeth Gordon, and family in the following sections - our direct ancestor

6. Elizabeth Mains - born during 1841 in Durness, Sutherland; many more details of Elizabeth, her husband Duncan Mains, and her family in the following sections

7. George - born during February, 1843 in Durness, Sutherland; many more details of George, his wife Janet (Jessie) Cochrane Little, and his family in the following sections

8. John William - born during 1845 in Durness, Sutherland; many more details of John William, his wife Johanna Catherine Diehl, and his family in the following sections

John’s address in Sutherland, Scotland, was given as either “Mussal, Durness Parish” in 1841 or “Massal, Strathmore” in 1851 as recorded in the Scottish census. I have not been able to find reference to this location to date, but it is obviously the reason that their New Zealand property later became known as ‘Mussel Farm’.

John was 61 when he came to New Zealand in 1862 on the clipper ship, the ‘Robert Henderson’. He came with his wife Elizabeth Douglas, and probably his three sons Anthony, George and John William, and two of his daughters Elizabeth and Isabella and Isabella’s husband Donald Munro. There may have been other family members on the same sailing ship to New Zealand, but the passenger list for 1862 has been lost, and so we have no record. There is no sign of the family on the 1881 Sutherland census, so all family members must have left the area by this time.

A painting of The Robert Henderson in Port Chalmers in 1861, Toitu Museum

Although I have not been able to find confirmation of John and Elizabeth’s and their family’s passage to New Zealand, interestingly, Thomas’s Reid, a young 20 year old passenger on the Robert Henderson kept a detailed diary of the voyage to New Zealand that left Glasgow on the 10th of June, arriving at Dunedin on the 17th of November, 1862. While the Patersons are not mentioned, it is an interesting insight into the journey our early settlers made to seek a better life in Aotearoa.

John acquired land under the Crown Grant scheme in Otepopo District, near Herbert. He probably purchased or applied for this land from Scotland, as the map was drawn up in 1861, a year before he arrived in New Zealand.

John Paterson’s name appears on the original survey map of the Crown Grant Index Record Map of July 1861. This block was attested by James Orr in 1866, according to the North Otago Times on the 19th April. The Oamaru Times states that the Crown Grants for land were ready for issue on 29 December 1868. This seems a very long time! Records show that John still owned this land which is described as section 90 of Block 5 in 1878 and leased section 2 of 44 in Block 3 of the Otepopo District Leasehold. However, by 1879, his son Anthony had taken over these properties. From various notices in the paper, including John’s death notice it is obvious that this property was called ‘Mussel Farm’.

Partial view of the Map Of the Crown Grant Index Record Map July 1861 showing John Paterson’s land (lower right) Section 90 of Block 5, reads 83.2.0; Section 2 of 44 under the name ‘Superintendent’ to the top right of John Patersons was later leased and then owned by the Patersons

I have traced John’s original land section 90 of Block 5 to now be 291 Woodburn Road. This property is now only 7 acres, but originally was much larger. There is an older ‘colonial’ style cottage and an older barn, along with numerous outbuildings. The current owners tell me that the cottage dates back to over 100 years ago, so it is likely that either John or his son Anthony built it. The current owners believe the cottage originally had a front door with with windows either side, and later was extended to the right. The verandah was added much more recently. The current owners also tell me that ‘made in England’ is stamped on the interior of the corrugated iron used on the barn, so it is likely to date back to John and Anthony’s time.

The original cottage at ‘Mussel Farm’, 291 Woodburn Road, section 90 of Block 5, Otepopo, which has been added onto at the right (second window) and the verandah is also a more recent addition

The original barn at ‘Mussel Farm’, 291 Woodburn Road, section 90 of Block 5, Otepopo

John appears to have been an active member of the local community. He stood to be a Warden of the ‘Otepopo Hundred’ in February 1867, but missed out by a couple of votes. By March 1869, however, he was elected as a Warden along with two others. John and his sons, Anthony and George, took an interest in local body politics, as evidenced by a signed open letter on the 3rd of February 1871, in the Oamaru Mail requesting James MaCassey Esq. to be nominated to stand for Waitaki District council, mentioning his ‘liberal and statesmanlike’ views.

While searching for more information about our John Paterson during his time in Otago, I came across several other ‘J. Patersons’. One was a farmer with a stud horse called ‘Young Otago’ from Papakaio, another was very involved in the Presbyterian church in Dunedin, and a third was a scoundrel involved in several court cases from Oamaru. Sadly it wasn’t our John Paterson who according to McKenzie and Martin (2011) was awarded 3rd prize - the sum of £4 and a head collar valued at a further £2 at Otepopo’s second ploughing match first held in August 1887 at Nathan Young’s property. Our John had passed away ten years earlier. Of course it could have been his youngest son, John William? And what was John’s second name? A John N. Paterson tendered to be a Ranger for the Otepopo Road board on the 31st of January in 1874. His tender was £20, but Mr A. Bruce won with a tender of £18.

John died on the 23rd May in 1877. He was 76 years old. His wife Elizabeth died on the 31st August, 1884 at ‘Mussel Farm’ aged 77 years old. Their eldest son, and our direct ancestor, Anthony bought their cemetery plots on the 23rd of May and 23rd of June in 1877. John was buried at Otepopo Cemetery on the 24th of May 1877 in Block 2 Plot 3. Elizabeth, his wife, was interred on the 1st of September 1884 next to John in Plot 4 of Block 2.

John and Elizabeth’s grave at Otepopo cemetery.