MR. BROWN'S DRAY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 151, 23 December 1929, Page 12

MR. BROWN'S DRAY

PIONEERING STORY

FOUNDER OF UPPER HUTT

LAST CHILD DEAD AT 91

(Contributed.)

By the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Martin on Friday, 6th December, 1929 Upper Hutt lost the last original settler of a hardy pioneering Scots family. Born at Paisley, Scotland, 91 years ago, she- left the Clyde in September, 1840, with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Brown, and other members of

tho family, arriving in Port Nicholson on 27th December, IS4O. The voyage in the Blenheim terminated when that vessel anchored off Kaiwharawhara, and on landing there the Brown family were accommodated in a raupo whare provided for their use by the agent of the Kew Zealand Company. Shortly afterwards a removal was made to what is known as Alicotowu, Lower Hutt, and at a later date to Behnont. The Brown family were the first settlers beyond the Silverstream-Taita Gorgecommunication between these points being by means of a- native track over in Stok 8 fr^ m 1 f eross ««> stream n Stokes Valley, and again across the hills to where the Silverstream brickyards arc-now located. There was no way alongside the river on the eastern side, as tho river ran close iv to the hillsides there. DETOUR AT TAITA. Having acquired possession of a piece °f land extending from the neighbourhood of tho Upper Hutt Post Office eastward beyond the Borough Council offices Mr. Brown proceeded to settle upon his holding and, placing his worldly goods upon a light dray trekked eastward towards Upper Hutt The hills of Taita and Silverstream were impassable for wheeled traffic and the vehicle was taken apart, the wheels taken across separately, and the body slung on poles carried by the pioneer, assisted by a couple of stalwart settlers (Messrs. Galloway, of Pali autanui, and M'Ewan, of Kangitikei) On arrival at the eastern side of the gorge the vehicle was reassembled, and the kindly neighbours returned to their homes then "at Lower Hutt. On arrival at Upper Hutt Mr. Brown erected a slab whare for his family, and covered it with a sail-cloth for a roof. He conducted the first tavern in the district, which was designated "The Shepherd," and later on reconstructed and improved it, when it acquired the name of the "Criterion Hotel," in which the Duke of Edinburgh stayed the night on the occasion of his visit to see the beauties of the Hutt River and native bush at the "Maori Bank." A photograph of tho hotel can be seen now in tho Borough Council Chamber at Upper Hutt. The building, until recently temporarily occupied by the local Bank of Australasia, was the '.'stables" of the Criterion Hotel, and replaced the original stables which had be-cn destroyed by firo on tho night of the Duke's visit. It has tho honour of being the first store in Upper Hutt. The original business settlement having been established in the neighbourhood of the Oddfellows' Hall, Trontham. MAORI TROUBLES—THE STOCKADE. Mrs. Martin had two brothers (James and George) and one sistrr, Sarah (Mrs. Wilson), older than herself, and two brothers, David and Andrew, born in New Zealand, all of whom predeceased her. The deceased lady, though sorely troubled with rheumatism in later life, -retained all her faculties until a few hours before her death, and could speak cle-arly and with wonderful detail upon historical and domestic matters of the Hutt Valley from the sea eastward. She gave vivid pictures of tho many hardships and anxieties of the pioneers; of tho floods of tho Hutt Bivsr—half-a-dozen a year—when the water ran through their house in the Lower Valley; of the first bridge over th© Hutt Eiver; of tho Maori troubles and the early morning attack on Boulcott's Farm outpost, when Bugler Allen was killed while sounding the alarm; of the building of the stockade at Tcenthani near what is now known as "Quinn's Post" Hotel; the local bushfire fights, and the several sawmilling industries of the district— three mills operating at the same- time between Whiteman's Valley road and the Upper Hutt Catholic Church on tho main road frontage.

Mrs. Martin was of a kindly nature and ever willing to help anyone in need. She was a keen gardener, and her residence was surrounded with choice plants and flowers, and was1 one of the beauty spots of tho Upper Hutt. Sho was the firjst lady elector to record a vote at a Parliamentary election in the upper end of the Hutt Valley. Her husband, Mr. Alexander Martin, a native of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, died 27 years ago. Of her family of twelve there are nine still living. The sons are James, of Upper Hutt, for many years connected with tho New Zealand 'Railways; William, of New Plymouth, farmer; David, of Wanganui, of the White Star Motor Service; and John, of Hastings, fruit expert; and the daughters are Jano (Mrs. Golder), of Upper Hutt; Isabel (Mrg. M'Grath), Elizabeth (Mrs. Monihan), of Wellington; Emma (Mrs. Larmer) and Helen, of Upper Hutt. There are 42 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.