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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Mr. Francis Mcdiarmid

Mr. Francis Mcdiarmid , who came to Otago by the “Philip Laing,” was born in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, in 1801. His father was a sheepfarmer. His eldest brother, who lived to be ninety-four years of age, served as a soldior in the 42nd Highlanders, under the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsula war, and helped to carry the wounded Sir John Moore to the rear during the memorable retreat which that fine military genius had planned at Corunna. Another brother (who was an officer in the same regiment) died of fever on the same historic occasion. He also had two more brothers, one a sea-captain, who attained ninety years, and the other was in the navy. Before leaving for New Zealand, Mr. Francis McDiarmid was a tenant of Mr. Henry Home Drummond. Prior to coming out to the Colony he bought three sections from the New Zealand Land Company, with the right of selection, and shortly after reaching Dunedin, he sold them for £50 apiece, but six months afterwards they again changed hands for £2500. Mr. McDiarmid went to settle at the “Poplars,” at Woodside, where he and Mr. Lee were for some time the only settlers. He married Miss Janet Milne, a fellow passenger and a sister-in-law of Mr. James Adams, of Bon Accord, Tokomairiro. Their first habitation was an open hut, which mosquitoes and Maori hens shared with them on the most advanced principles of promiscuous communism. They afterwards built a wattle and daub hut, in which they resided until they entered into the present homestead house of brick and stone. The bricks were made on the ground, and the timber and stone were carted from Dunedin and Port Chalmers. On one occasion in the early days food ran out, when Mr. and Mrs McDiarmid walked waist deep through water and slush to the Maori kaike, where they were hospitably received by the chief, Taiaroa, who supplied them with mutton birds. Mr. McDiarmid always walked to Dunedin, twenty-two miles, for supplies, which he carried home on his back. He often did the trip in one day, and was occasionally accompanied by his wife, who carriea her child with her. The Rev. Dr. Burns, who baptized the eldest child, walked out from Dunedin to perform the ceremony, and the remainder of the family were christened by the Rev. Mr. Will and the late Rev. Mr. Urie, of West Taieri. There were no roads in those days, but only a track through flax, scrub and bush, so dense even round the homestead, that Mr. Robert Fulton, when paying a friendly visit, lost his way, although his own place was only a quarter of a mile distant. For some time Mrs McDiarmid and another were the only women in the district; and as a matter of pure human kindliness, often at the risk of her own life, Mrs McDiarmid travelled through swamp and rough country, ankle doop in mud or snow, to attend the sick. In order to promote settlement, Mr. McDiarmid cut up parts of his land for sale in small holdings and named the place “Woodside.” Originally the estate consisted of about 500 acres, and it was long since brought into a thorough state of cultivation by Mr. McDiarmid and his family. Mr. McDiarmid was for many years Crown Ranger for the district. He died in 1897, aged ninety-six, and left a family of three sons and five daughters; namely, Messrs Angus, Francis, and Gilbert McDiarmid, and Mrs. W. Cuthbert, Mrs T. A. White, Mrs P. Chisholm, Miss and Miss M. McDiarmid. Mrs W. Cuthbert and Mrs T. A. White reside at Outram; Mrs P. Chisholm in Dunedin; the sons and Miss and Miss M. McDiarmid, at Woodside.

The Late Mr. F. McDiarmid

The Late Mr. F. McDiarmid