The family paintings
Uncle Edward used to say that Gd Gdma spent the family money on having the family paintings done. We now do not complain as we have them to see.
Family stories
In Sybil’s words
Sybil Dron, née Paton (1893–1981), was born in Hope, grew up at Beacon Hill and came back in 1930 to care for her aunts. Late in life she wrote down what she knew: about her great-grandmother Emily and the family paintings, about the farm, and about the people who lived there.
SPSybil Isobel DronJune and Bruce’s motherI
Emily and the paintings
Calcutta, Ireland and England · 1820–1871
Emily Howard Stafford was Sybil's great-grandmother. She married in Calcutta, was widowed young and married again. Family tradition says she spent the family money having the family painted. The portraits hang at Beacon Hill today.
1827
Buried at sea
Gdma Paton's husband died at sea and was buried off Tenerife, so probably coming home a sick man, Feb 7th 1827 aged 31. Within a year she had married again John Browne a lawyer — married in Ireland — and the one son John Hugh Browne born March 3rd 1829 Chelsea. Hugh died at Delhi.
1853
“Calcutta” on the back
One supposes the paintings were sent to India and John Hugh Brownes having 'Calcutta' on the back was painted there. 'History' has it Gdma Paton insisted on bringing the paintings to N.Z. and when you think of sailing vessels it is wonderful how little of the frames were hurt.
1857
Playing at “The Crags”
Aunt Mary Beatson told her family how he (John Hugh Browne) used to play with them at 'The Crags', no doubt when on leave. She would have been about 10 when mutiny was on and Hugh possibly 26 when killed.
“Or you will rue it”
In one of Gt Uncle John's letters to the Major he adjures him on no account to bring her out to N.Z. 'or you will rue it'. Speaks of her borrowing money incessantly …
1871
She died trusting
Gt Gdma died Feb 19th 1871 and a City Missioner's letter to Major Paton says she died trusting.
II
Beacon Hill
Hope, Nelson · 1862–1968
Sybil came back to Beacon Hill in 1930 to care for her elderly aunts, and stayed. In 1968 she wrote down what she knew of the place and the people who worked it.
How Beacon Hill got its name
Ray Lankow says a peg with flag on top near a huge flax bush (I remember as a girl seeing that bush) and all surveys of the plain were taken from this flag. Hence the name 'Beacon Hill'. When it rotted Lankow took the two iron rings and used [them] on their stable mangers to tie horses to.
1862
The seller who couldn't write
Edward Webby, who sold Beacon Hill to the Major in 1862, made only his mark on the sale documents.
One of his daughters later said she had planted many of the trees, particularly the walnut and chestnut avenue from the gate.
1863
The road that moved
After the Aniseed Valley road was surveyed in 1863, H. H. Busch was unhappy with where it cut through his land. He “got up one night and moved the survey pegs”.
Nobody noticed, and the road was built where he had moved them.
1863
The Major's house
The Major added seven or more rooms to the cob cottage, including a four-bedroom second storey in lath and plaster, a passage 7 feet wide and 40 feet long, and 8-foot verandahs with mud floors on three sides.
The job was due on 21 July and finished on 27 October. The Major claimed the right to deduct £1 a day and called the work “neither wind nor weather tight”. The builder sued him for £174 8s.
- rooms
- 17
- outside doors
- 9
- cob walls
- 22 in
1902
Rent, paid partly in bacon
Henry rented Beacon Hill from his brother Arthur and four of his sisters for £120 a year, and a good deal more besides.
Beacon Hill · lease · 1902
£120 a year, plus
- 32 fat sheep
- 5 gallons of fresh milk, every day
- 2 bacon pigs, or 300 lb of bacon
- a ton of potatoes
- firewood
1930
The Drons arrive
Mrs Dron came to look after the elderly aunts and her husband Wallace took over the management of the farm.
The aunts kept the right to live in the house with the Drons.
1940
Taking off the top storey
When all the old people had gone, we took off the top storey and added on to the ground area to make a more compact and modern house.
The Major's house, before 1940
The house today
Cutting up the estate
When Beacon Hill was cut up George Lankow took 'Willow Pad' and Hill 197 acres … Arthur Malcolm took the 'gorse hill' of 163 acres … Percy Busch bought … McHardy's gully and on Aniseed hill … Stratfords took 'German Bush' … The hill we have was made over to my father, only he got so involved with the Graham Run, that only selling that saved this and this came back to the Aunts.
III
Heirlooms
What the family has kept, and where the 1999 notes last recorded it.
The family portraits, which family tradition says Emily paid for
Beacon Hill
Frances Mercer, head and shoulders
Beacon Hill
John Hugh Browne, head and shoulders, painted in Calcutta in 1853
Recorded with B. G. Dron in the 1999 notes; not yet photographed
The parchment pedigree, about 1848
The family
Beacon Hill deeds, 1862–1937
Family papers
Letters: Emily and Berkeley Stafford on family history; Uncle John to the Major; the City Missioner, 1871
The family
These stories come from the family compilations “Howard-Stafford 1 Notes” and “Beacon Hill” (files last saved by G & K Jennings, 1999–2004), which quote Sybil’s notes and a 1978 newspaper article. See Sources, S03 and S04.