A link with the early days of New Zealand, particularly of the Masterton district, has been severed by the death of Mr John Hessey, which occurred at “Blair Cottage,” Renall Street, about 1 o’clock this morning, at the age of 85 years. A man of great courage, integrity and vision, the late Mr Hessey was on of the districts best known stalwarts of the pioneer days of half a century ago.
Born at Workshop, Notthinghamshire, England, on the 16th of June, 1847, he with his parents, sailed on 3rd September, 1858, from Liverpool in the sailing ship “Melbourne” bound for Adelaide, Australia. Soon after arrival in Adelaide Mr Hessey’s mother died as a result of injuries received on the ship on the way out from England during a severe storm encountered a few days prior to reaching Adelaide. He, with his father, went to Kangaroo Island, where the latter was engaged in cutting sleepers for the Burra railway. After six years in Melbourne the late Mr Hessey came to New Zealand with his father and other members of the family in 1862 by the ship “Omehoe”.
After some years at Woodend, Canterbury, he had some experience on the West Coast goldfields. Gold-mining was one of his chief interests in later life and the operations of the Masterton and Mystery Flat dredges in the Otago district and the Worsop dredge on the West Coast met with a good deal of success. Coming to the Masterton District in 1879 he purchased a farm property at Upper Plain a few years later. “Shurwood,” the name given to the property, was for long regarded as a model farm. By his boundless energy and capacity for hard work the late Mr Hessey brought the property to a high state of cultivation as an agricultural holding and reaped large yields of oats and wheat per acre. In stock he favoured Lincoln sheep and Ayrshire cattle, but it was as a breeder of draught horses that he excelled during his farming experience. He won many prizes for his horses in many parts of the country. His celebrated brood mare “Darling” won over 30 first and champion prizes at North and South Island shows.
When he retired from farming the late Mr Hessey resided in Worksop Road, named after his birthplace in England. Although of a modest disposition he took a very keen interest in public affairs and in this way furthered the interests of the town and district. He was a borough councillor for about a period of 20 years, being first elected in 1883 to fill and extra-ordinary vacancy. He was also a Trust Lands Trust Trustee, a member of the Licensing bench, Wairarapa and Masterton A and P Association, being one of the founders and first committeemen and a life member of the Masterton Association: a member and past president of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society, and the Masterton Lodge of Oddfellows.
As a borough councillor the late Mr Hessey did much for the progress and advancement of the district. The Hessey Shield for competition by ambulance teams was presented by him. The late Mr Hessey visited the Homeland twice, the second time in 1919, when he travelled about for about six years visiting America, Australia and England. When his health first began to fail he felt a strong desire to return to New Zealand and particularly Masterton. Last year he visited the scenes from his boyhood at Kangaroo Island, an island in which he retained a keen interest up to the time of his death. In some memoirs written by himself the late Mr Hessey graphically describes incidents connected with his arrival in New Zealand and in his subsequent journeys between Canterbury and the West Coast of the South Island while engaged in droving. It was at this time that he developed a strong interest in gold mining, in interest he retained up to the time of his death.
Of his 71 years in New Zealand he resided in the Masterton District 54 years with the short breaks when on visits to England and Australia, Italy, France and America where he spent six months. As one of the foundation members of the Masterton A and P Association the late Mr Hessey did much to make the Association a success. His many fine qualities earned for him the esteem and friendship of a very wide circle throughout the Wairarapa and other New Zealand districts. He was twice married and leaves a wife but no family.
The funeral is to leave the residence, Renall Street, tomorrow, at 3pm for the Masterton Cemetery.
