Francis Hands Over

A clay and slab house had awaited the family’s arrival, with much of the land still in bush, toe toe and flax. In the early years after their arrival, the Māori were still hostile, and many times the family had to take refuge in a stockade in the settlement of Whanganui. With much hard work, the land was cleared for the planting of more wheat, vegetables, and grassland.

From pit-sawn timber, the Williamsons built a large house at the foot of the hill whereon the homestead now stands, using pumice for the chimneys and shingles for the roof. The farm ‘Brandon’ actually belonged to father Alexander, and now he took over with the help of his older sons. He brought in more and more land and required sheep and cattle, but at this point in the settlement of the district, stock were in short supply. The family had large areas of land ready for grazing, so when it was found that not many were available, Francis set off to Australia—on what was the beginning of many trips—to buy and bring back what Brandon required.

Francis, who was now 23 years of age, put more and more time into his well-established orchard and for the next three or four years continued with that, besides helping his father and brothers with the farm.

In 1858, Francis decided to take up land of his own. His father paid him out for all that he had done at Brandon, and he set off to the Manawatu to look at some large blocks of land that were for sale. He inspected some of the land, but as it was selling so quickly, he demurred no longer and quickly signed the purchase of ten thousand acres between Foxton and Bulls—without knowing much about the type of country he had bought.

Council records tell he neither occupied nor farmed this land. He sold it to some of the numerous buyers anxiously wanting land and went off to the Rangitīkei district for more fertile land with much less native bush. His first purchase was that of five hundred acres at Bonny Glen, much of it with large natural clearings of rolling country. Francis quickly built his first dwelling. It was much like the first cottage he had built at Brandon—of clay with a shingle roof. That cottage stood for more than half a century, close to where the present home was built and near where my eldest brother Noel now lives and farms a portion of the original farm.

It was during the next three years that he decided to buy the adjacent five hundred acres. It too was fertile land with gentle contours, and he knew he could develop the thousand acres into a very worthwhile property. Money was scarce, especially when he had begun putting so much into the already purchased five hundred acres, but he was not one to be thwarted once his mind was made up.

Francis went off to Whanganui to see his future brother-in-law, Samuel Rice. At this time, Samuel—who was leasing Brandon from Alexander Williamson—wanted very much to purchase the farm, but not having enough money, was also looking for ways and means to do so. It was from here that Francis and Samuel decided to go to the Otago goldfields at Dunstan. Each had the same idea. They toiled long hours and saved, the result being that their success was greater than either had dreamed it could be. Returning to their lands, Samuel bought Brandon, and Francis the adjoining property at Bonny Glen.

But again, there were difficulties for Francis. So much land was being taken up and developed, and the demand for sheep and cattle was so great, he found it almost impossible to get the stock he needed. Having tried a wide area without success, he did not give up but took a ship to Australia. Once again, he bought what he required and shipped them back, landing at Whanganui. There, his horse and dray awaited him. Whanganui and the Rangitīkei district were connected by a reasonable—if rough—coach road, and it was along this that he travelled, driving the sheep he had bought over from Sydney.

In 1869, Francis, at the age of thirty-nine years, married Bertha Neumann, daughter of another early settler who had settled in Rangitīkei. The next ten years saw a big difference to the property at Bonny Glen. Banks were built on which gorse was planted, and much wire and post fencing was done. The fields were well cultivated, and large areas of golden wheat were harvested each year. A lovely farmhouse was built, and again garden and orchards established. A flour mill had been established in Marton by the Henderson Brothers, and so wheat became one of the principal crops on the farm.

Francis and his wife Bertha had built a single-storeyed but very comfortable farmhouse, which stands on the farm ‘Eldon’ to this day—but it and its land belong to others, not the Williamson family. There were five children of the marriage—two girls and three boys—by the time Francis had been married ten years. But in that, his tenth year of marriage, tragedy struck. While harvesting wheat, a wheat straw penetrated beneath his thumbnail and poison set in. His death occurred in a few days. This man, who had accomplished so much and didn’t know the meaning of giving up, and had become secure and happy in an interesting and fruitful life, passed on.

Photo of house at Bonny Glen