This page was last updated on 30 September 2021

Click here to 
Print this page

Biography finder

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

Index of first names

John Douglas, pastoralist

 

 

 

 

John DouglasJohn Douglas (1829-1903) was for many years one of the most prominent pastoralists of New Zealand.

Latterly he lived at Mount Royal, Palmerston, Otago. This property, which adjoins the borough of Palmerston, consists of 23,400 acres of freehold land, and about 500 acres of leasehold. It carries in fairly good seasons about 30,000 sheep, chiefly Border Leicester crosses, in addition to a small herd of a few hundred head of cattle, the greater portion of the lands being pastoral. Mr. Douglas also owned the Waihao Downs estate, South Canterbury, consisting of 10,200 acres of freehold, less about 1500 acres sold by him in agricultural farms. Waihao Downs is of limestone formation, with rich clay subsoil, and is therefore admirably adapted for the growing of wheat and other cereals and root crops, as well as for sheep rearing and fattening. Since the inception of meat freezing for exportation about 10,000 freezers have been annually reared and fattened there for that purpose.

Mr. Douglas was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1829, and as a farmer's son in Strathmore, where high class farming has long flourished, he acquired a taste for, and an acquaintance with matters relating to agriculture and stock. He was educated and trained in a lawyer's and factor's office, where he acquired a knowledge of business and a practical acquaintance with estate management, land reclamation and improvement, and agricultural and stock pursuits generally. This experience proved of much service to him in after life. His more experienced relations, however, directed his attention to commercial life as affording better opportunities of advancoment, and he accepted a position in his cousin's mercantile house, then Paton and Fleming, now Fleming, Douglas and Co., of Dundee, the Scottish branch of Robinson, Fleming and Co., London.

He subsequently became interested in land in New Zealand, and came out to the colony in 1862, as managing partner in certain investments and agent in others. Before leaving London he was joined by the late Mr. F. G. Alderson, son of Baron Alderson, of London, as partner in the agency department of the business, under the style of Douglas, Alderson and Co. Mr. Alderson subsequently arrived in the colony, and died in February, 1865.

Mr. Douglas continued as the representative of the firm and acquired lands named by him and now known as Clydevale and Edendale estates, Kurow, Kawarau, Deep Dell and Hakataramea stations and others. These several estates and stations—with the exception of Hakataramea and Deep Dell, and others under the late Mr. Robert Hamilton's management, as well as those which the Hon. Mr. Holmes and his partners at that time owned—were taken over in 1867 at valuation by and amalgamated into a Limited Liability Company; namely, the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, Limited. Mr. Douglas, however, continued to act as New Zealand agent and general manager until 1870, when Messrs Russell, Ritchie and Co. became New Zealand agents and attorneys for the company. Mr. Thomas Brydone, who at that time was acting as inspector of estates, then assumed their management. Mr. Douglas, then and afterwards, purchased on his own account several properties, most of which he afterwards resold, save Mount Royal and Waihao Downs.

In 1870, before going to live at Mount Royal, Mr. Douglas unsuccessfully contested with the Hon. John McKenzie, the Waihemo seat in the Otago Provincial Council. Mr. Douglas was married in 1863 to a daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Rattray, of Brewlands, Perthshire, Scotland, but that lady died in 1864, leaving one son, John Fleming Douglas, now of Waihao Downs estate.

He contracted a second marriage, in 1893, with a daughter of Mr. David Stark, of Dunedin, and the family by this union consists of one son, born in 1895, and one daughter, born in 1898.

Mr. Douglas died at Mount Royal on the 12th of August, 1903.

 

 

 

Any contributions will be gratefully accepted

 

 

Errors and Omissions

The Forum

What's new?

We are looking for your help to improve the accuracy of The Douglas Archives.

If you spot errors, or omissions, then please do let us know


Contributions

Many articles are stubs which would benefit from re-writing. Can you help?


Copyright

You are not authorized to add this page or any images from this page to Ancestry.com (or its subsidiaries) or other fee-paying sites without our express permission and then, if given, only by including our copyright and a URL link to the web site.

 

If you have met a brick wall with your research, then posting a notice in the Douglas Archives Forum may be the answer. Or, it may help you find the answer!

You may also be able to help others answer their queries.

Visit the Douglas Archives Forum.

 

2 Minute Survey

To provide feedback on the website, please take a couple of minutes to complete our survey.

 

We try to keep everyone up to date with new entries, via our What's New section on the home page.

We also use the Community Network to keep researchers abreast of developments in the Douglas Archives.


Help with costs

Maintaining the three sections of the site has its costs.  Any contribution the defray them is very welcome
Donate

 

Newsletter

If you would like to receive a very occasional newsletter - Sign up!

 
 
 


 

Back to top

 



The content of this website is a collection of materials gathered from a variety of sources, some of it unedited.

The webmaster does not intend to claim authorship, but gives credit to the originators for their work.

As work progresses, some of the content may be re-written and presented in a unique format, to which we would then be able to claim ownership.

Discussion and contributions from those more knowledgeable is welcome.

Contact Us

Last modified: Thursday, 22 February 2024