July 1897

Thursday 1st   It was a fine day.  I was sowing grass seed.

Friday 2nd    It was a fine day.  I finished sowing the grass seed in the morning.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.
By the mail I received intelligence that I had been appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Colony, also a NZ Gazette  bearing date June 21st containing my appointment.

Saturday 3rd   It was a fine day.  I took the mutton out in the morning.  Willie & I were pulling up tea tree in the afternoon.
Minnie, Jane and the two Miss Niccols went down to the skating in the evening.

Sunday 4th   It rained nearly all day.  Revd Worboys was to have held service in the Hall in the afternoon.
I set a black hen in a box below the pig stye on 13 Eggs laid by Wyandotte pullets crossed with a pure bred White Leghorn Cock.

Monday 5th   It was a fine day.  The Miss Niccols moved into the Teachers house today.  We commenced supplying them with milk.  One pint a day.

Tuesday 6th   It was a very fine day.   I have a bad cold or influenza and was not able to do much.  I was pulling up some tea tree in the cow paddock.  The Steamer came in before 4 pm.

Wednesday 7th   It was a very showery weather.  I pulled up a little tea tree in the morning, but it was too wet in the afternoon.
Minnie and Miss Niccol rode up to Mauds in the morning and as it came on to rain they staid all night.

Thursday 8th   It was a fine day.  Maud came home with Miss Niccol leaving Minnie up there to look after the children , she staid here all night, she and Jane went up to Miss Niccols in the evening.
I was pulling up tea tree in the cow paddock all day.
Ernest Wyatt and Jim Dunning called in the afternoon, Jim only came up by the Steamer this week , having lately come out of the Coromandel Hospital where he was for a broken arm & other injuries.

Friday 9th   It was a fine day.  Maud returned home in the morning and Minnie returned from Mauds in the afternoon.
Killed a Sheep in the evening and went to the Library in the evening . There was skating and dancing in the Hall in the evening instead of tomorrow.

Saturday 10th   It was a fine day.  I took the meat out in the morning and chopping wood,  in the afternoon Willie & I were burning tea tree in the cow paddock.
The Miss Niccols, Maggie & the boys & Fred Savage were here for tea, and Jim Dunning came in the evening.  There was a Public Meeting in the Hall in the evening to consider the state of the Cemetery, also cooperation amongst farmers & charging for fruit cases, I was appointed chairman of the meeting.  There was a committee of three appointed to  lay out th   look after the Cemetery and it was decided to revive the Farmers and Fruitgrowers Association.

Sunday 11th   It was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation.  Honor Wyatt was here for tea and staid all night.

Monday 12th  It was a beautiful day and very calm.  We got the bullocks up in the morning and Willie & I went down to the Store and got a Sack of Flour and a bag of Flour.  I was cutting tea tree and doing odd jobs.

Tuesday 13th   It rained last night, but was very fine to day.  I was pulling up and cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.  In the afternoon the members of the Road Board  met and proceeded to the wharf hill, to lay out a road up from the Wharf with a better grade, taking a small piece off of Mr Barber’s land.  We then held a meeting in the Hall and transacted a lot of business.  It was decided to hold the next  business  meeting in the Hall four weeks from last Saturday at 2 pm, this will be August 7th.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening in aid of the Cricket Club, the girls and Willie were at it.

Wednesday 14th   It was a fine day.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock.  Jane went with Sarah (Mrs D. Morris) up to Mauds and they staid all night.

Thursday 15th   It was a fine day.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock.   Jane returned from Mauds.  I went down to Charlies in the evening to attend to Road Board matters.  The Miss Niccols & Minnie were spending the evening there.

Friday 16th   It was a fine day.  I was cutting tea tree all day.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.  There was a meeting of the Library Committee in the evening.

Saturday 17th   It was a showery day.  Took the mutton out in the morning.  In the afternoon I rode over to Dacres Claim to a meeting in the Hall about the Domain.  Afterwards Mr Greenwood, J. C. Wyatt & I went up Ashton’s creek to see about a proposed bridge across the creek opposite Mr Hardwicks.

Sunday 18th   There were several showers during the day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon.  There was only a small congregation.

Monday 19th   It was a wet day.  Was not able to do anything out of doors.

Tuesday 20th    It was a fine day, but very cold, the wind blowing from the S.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock all day.
Mrs A.  and Miss Matheson called in the afternoon.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.

Wednesday 21st    It was a fine day.    It was a fine day, I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock.  Mr Roose called in the afternoon, I did not give him an order, but paid the last Ac/t  owing to the D. S. C. for drapery.

Thursday 22nd   It was a showery day.  I was cutting tea tree all day between the showers.

Friday 23rd   It was very showery in the morning, but it was finer in the afternoon.   Sarah Morris was here for dinner.  Jane went up to Miss Niccols for tea.  We killed a Sheep in the afternoon.

Saturday 24th   It was a showery especially so in the afternoon.
There was a bee in the Cemetery at the afternoon  to clear the furze and tea tree.  Most of the settlers were present.
Dan Kempt was here for tea and he went down to the Hall in the evening to the skating.

Sunday 25th   It was comparitavely a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon.  Jim Dunning was here for tea.  Jane went to spend the day at Jos  Wyatts and she staid all night.

Monday 26th   It was a beautiful day.  I rode to Matakana in the morning to get  Mr Cruickshank to witness my signature to a return for the Road Board, he was not at the Store so I had to go up to his house, where I found him, I had dinner there and returned home in the afternoon.  The Miss Niccols were here for tea and Walter Frearson came to spend the evening.

Tuesday 27th   It was a dull day and threatened for rain, but we did not get any to speak of.   We got the Sheep up from the farm and put 10 Wethers into the horse paddock.  We cleaned all the Sheep .  There was one Lamb which appeared about a week old which we tailed and ear marked

1   Ewe   Lamb

There were 4 of Walter Frearsons which he took away in the afternoon.  I went down to the Village in the afternoon with the Eggs, the Steamer came in early.  I received a letter from my brother Henry.  Miss Niccol‘s sister is going away tomorrow morning and Minnie is going to keep house for Miss Niccol, she went this afternoon to stop.

Wednesday 28th   It rained last night but it was pretty fine during the morning, but it rained nearly all afternoon.   W. Brown and Emma came in the morning to take a bull of theirs out of our place, they staid for dinner.

Thursday 29th   It rained nearly all day without stopping.  It is the wettest day we have had all winter.  Willie did not go to school, but took the milk to Miss Niccols in the afternoon.

Friday 30th   It was a very fine day.  But the ground is very wet from all the rain we had yesterday and last night.  I was cutting tea tree in the cows paddock.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.  Miss Niccol & Minnie came here in the evening and Jane went with them down for the mail.

Saturday 31st   It was a beautiful day.  I took the mutton out in the morning, afterwards Willie and I cut some tea tree in the cow paddock.  In the afternoon I rode over to Dacres Claim to a meeting in the Hall to elect a committe  to manage the Domain.  The following were elected the committee viz,    J. C. Wyatt,  W. D. Birdsall,  J. H. Hadwick,  Jas Dunning,  &  Leslie Meiklejohn  and are to remain in office until the end of Decr 1898, after that to be elected annually.