HENRY BANNISTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1938, Page 7

HENRY BANNISTER

“FATHER OF MASTERTON”

PIONEER SETTLER.

INCIDENTS IN THE EARLY DAYS.

(Specially Written or the “Times-Age'

by Charles Bannister.)

My father, Henry Bannister, was born in the year 1815, at the small town called Sedgley at Dudleyside, in Staffordshire. In his younger days he was weighbridge clerk at Ford Dudley’s coal mine. His wife died in the first year of their marriage. This so upset him that he decided to leave England, and go to the Australian gold diggings. There were two sailing ships in port belonging to the same firm. He put his trunks on one of them to sail in a week’s time, when he saw a person whom he knew, who said: “That ship is only an old tub; better come with me on a fast boat.” So he took that man’s advice, which proved unsound, as the slow old tub made the trip in three months, and the one they sailed in took nine months to get to Sydney. He said that for days and days the “fast” ship never moved; he believed it backed. Then they struck gales and were blown out of their course and then becalmed again. This happened three times. He said it was a good thing that the ship had a cargo of preserved eatables for the diggings. They put into a port and got a supply of water. At last they reached their destination. He hurried off to the diggings to pick up the nuggets that he had heard about. He had varied success but did not make his fortune. He fell in with a man who had been to Pig Island, 'as New Zealand was then called, who told him about the money to be made by buying pigs from the Maoris and shipping them to Sydney. Pork was very dear at the diggings, so he thought he would give it a trial. He booked his passage in the next boat for Port Nick (as Wellington was called) where he arrived in 1842. (In Port Nick he met his cousins John of the Crown and Anchor and Edwin of newspaper fame, who helped to print the first paper in Wellington).

MEETING WITH TE RAUPARAHA.

After taking stock of things he went into partnership with a man named Amos Burr, who was without hands, having had them blown off when a cannon burst while they were saluting the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. In place his hands Burr, had a hook and a double prong. Messrs Bannister and Burr went up the west coast as far as Waikanae buying pigs. These were very quiet and with the help of Maori wahines and a few baskets of small potatoes they were taken to Wellington and shipped to Sydney. They made a good profit on this consignment and thought they would try another. This time they fell in with Rauparaha who wanted all the say. Burr and Rauparaha got to strong words. Rauparaha, looking at Burr’s hook and prongs, said: “I won’t fight with a man without hands.” Burr retorted in Maori: “Wait’till the Pakeha red dogs (meaning red-coated soldiers) catch you. They will make you squeal like a Maori pig.” (So he did squeal, kick and bite when the Bluejackets put him in a sack at Kapiti). Messrs Bannister and Burr returned to Wellington without any pigs. After working at various jobs for some months he got a contract from Mr Cruickshank, of Upper Hutt, to excavate a tunnel through a hill for a water supply to drive a wheel for a sawmill. While working af this job who should corrie along but Mr and Mrs T. Wagg, Senr., father and mother of the late Mr T. Wagg, of Masterton. He knew Mrs Wagg at Sedgley, England. He gave them a job and they helped him to finish the tunnel. His next venture was a job as ganger to a party of men forming the road over the Rimutakas to the Wairarapa. He had for companions the Beetham Bros. Mr William Beetham was using the theodolite to keep the levels, of which he was always proud. Mr Bannister worked at this till 1 1856. One day he saw coming through the track from Wairarapa a lady riding a horse. Upon making enquiry, he was told it was Mrs lorns, a widow from Masterton. On her return from Wellington she happened to come along at dinner time. He asked her to have dinner, which she did. He then made up his mind to spend the next break in the work at Masterton. Finishing that length, all his mates went to Wellington for a week and Mr Bannister went to Masterton. ARRIVAL IN MASTERTON.

On arriving in Masterton he called on Mrs lorns, who asked him in. After he had had some refreshments they went outside, and she noticed that her cows had broken the fence, and had gone into the neighbour’s section. He volunteered to bring them out and mend the fence. As he approached the cows, he saw a man coming towards him, who said: “Who the devil are you, and what are you doing on my property?” Mr Bannister said: “I am taking Mrs lorns’s cows home, and I am going to mend the fence as you ought to have done.” Mi’ X saw red (he was also a bachelor). They got to arguing and then to fisticuffs. The first round was Bannister’s on points. In the second round Bannister led off with a straight left to the nose, then quickly hooked with the right and X went down. While on the ground he must have thought of a plan, for he jumped up quickly, picked up a titoki pole nine feet long, about the thickness of a person’s arm, and with this he hit Mr Bannister across the legs, breaking one of them. While Mr Bannister was on his back X sat on his tummy and tried to gouge out his eyes with his thumb nails. The person who told me this happened to come along with a letter to post. He went to Bannister’s assistance. With the help of Mrs lorns they got him to the house and then went for Mr Masters, who came and With the help of his drawknife soon fashioned a pair of splints and the leg was set. Mrs lorns nursed him till he got about. As these sort of cases generally end, the nurse got married to the patient. They then enlarged the store, and it was carried on as Bannister’s.

Mr Masters was the founder of Masterton but I think that Mr Bannister should be called the father of Masterton, as he helped . nearly all those who came here in the pioneering days. In 1859 the road was opened for vehicle traffic. That made a great difference in the cost of cartage. Freight fell from £2O to £lO 10s a ton. Things that the settlers’ families had not seen for years came through, also the mail came twice a week. As Bannister’s Store was the Post Office and the place where all the bartering was done, it was made the meeting place for everybody.

NURSE WANTED. ’ In 18G3 there happened an event i which concerns myself. One morning | all the men folk were away, as mostly is the case when they are wanted on special occasions. The nurse was wanted and there was nobody to send for her. There was not an aircraft or taxi in sight, but the next best thing came ,in view. It was the late Mr Harry Dagg, Senr., in his bullock cart.. Upon enquiring as to what was the matter he said: “I will fetch the nurse.” So he right-about faced the bullock, and off he went for Mrs L. Evans, who lived on the Upper Plain. He had to go up by the Dairy Factory, then across the Akura, following up the old Waingawa riverbed, and over.to where the Fernridge School is now. He must have made that bullock go. Things must have gone well with the patient, as about four o’clock the nurse pronounced . that both were doing well, and she had to get • home to prepare tea for her lot. My father asked her how much to pay. She said a bag of sugar. A bag of sugar, 421bs, was worth £l. Only fancy, I was bartered for a bag of sugar! One of the first persons that my father gave a helping hand to was a baker. Father let him have flour and other ingredients to make bread. His first batches went well with the Maoris. Soon after there was a sale of land, and the tribes of the district came to Masterton for the pay out. They camped in the bush in front of where the Queen’s Hotel stands (kanui te utu)'. There was plenty of money, the baker sold out, got some more flour, made that into bread and sold out again. One of father’s Maori friends came and told him that the baker was off with his swag (pikau) on his back. My father’s horse was handy so he saddled him and gave chase to the absconder, whom he overtook on the Waingawa riverbed. Father demanded his money, which the baker handed over. He was returned two pounds for sustenance and told to hook it.

ARMED CONSTABULARY. In the middle sixties a troop of 25 Armed Constabulary was stationed at Masterton. One of the settler’s daughters complained to them that a certain young man had been too familiar and would not leave her alone. So they arrested him. As there were no J’s.P. in Masterton father was elected judge. The prisoner was convicted and the sentence was a thrashing. So he was given the option of fighting one of two members of the Armed Constabulary, Tom Hill or Bob Elliott. He chose Elliott but he made a mistake, as Elliott was the most scientific boxer in the troop. One round was enough for him. He was told to leave the district. About the same Time the Waipoua threatened to break its banks between the Dairy Factory and Levin’s Store, so the citizens called a meeting and let a contract for £lO to the Maoris, old Hor-i and Matini Ruta, to build an embankment. The others at the meeting, of whom there were five, gave £1 each and father gave the rest of the money. That embankment did the trick for many years. In 1870 our mother died. She was the mother of twelve children and never had a doctor. It was a very bad case of toothache and a doctor had to be procured from Greytown. He pulled out the tooth but complications set in. In three days she died. The doctor said it was erysipelas. We thought it was blood poisoning. P. & A. SOCIETY FORMED. In 1870 father, with many others, formed the Wairarapa P. and A. Society and held a show where the Park is located. He took many prizes for cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs (I have some of, the medals). To give it a start a quarter of the entries were his. He also helped to start the first flower show, sending in two cart loads of pot plants besides flowers and vegetables. In 1872 there came to Masterton a widow who procured from Captain Jones (the “Top House”) Sir George Grey’s hotel (the Convent is there now). She persuaded father to lend her money to build the Club Hotel (now the Midland). In 1873 she could not find the money to carry on, so father, to balance his budget, married her, and took over the Club Hotel, which he conducted till 1876 and then sold it to Mrs Graham. Father led the way for the good of the town. When Masterton wanted a doctor they had to give a guarantee for £l6O per year. After calling a meeting only £lOO was forthcoming. Father rose to the occasion and signed for £6O. In 1875 my father helped the first auctioneers, Messi's Wylie and Girdlestone, to the amount of £lOOO. In 1878 there was a fearful slump. Wool fell to 4Jd per lb, sheep to Is 6d for longwool ewes, short-woolled ones Is and 6-th wethers, weighing 80 to 90 lbs, 6s. The auctioneers went through the court. Their liabilities were £l2OO and their assets one single buggy and an old pony.

HONOUR DECLINED. In 1877 Masterton was proclaimed a borough. The citizens wanted m'y father to stand for Mayor, but as his health was not too good he declined the honour with thanks, but they persuaded him to stand as a councillor. He attended a few meetings of the Borough Council and then retired to his farm on the Opaki called “Sedgley” after his home town. (The Anglican Boys’ Home was named Scdgley by our sister, who once owned it). The last active work he did was to value the Matahiwi Estate for Mr J. E. Rocket who was selling out his lease to- Messrs J. and H. Holmes. Shortly after this he became an invalid. After a lingering illness he passed away in June, 1879. The cortege at his funeral was comprised of buggies, gigs, traps and horsemen. Friends came from all parts of the Valley. The cortege reached from the Waipoua bridge up past the Terrace; on the town side it was joined by members of friendly societies of which he was a member. The townspeople turned out in great numbers. He was banker, adviser and treasurer for nearly all the settlement. He was churchwarden and treasurer for the Church of England and a trooper in the cavalry troop at the time of the Maori disturbance. The Maoris called him Peneta. That was the nearest they could get to Bannister.