01.14 Duncan Fraser Ayson 1857 - 1923

Duncan Fraser Ayson, tenth son of Peter Ayson was born at Corydon, Warepa, on 4 August 1857.

 

He attended Warepa School and on account of his quick learning and not being immediately required to work on the farm, he was allowed to remain at school a year beyond the 6th standard.   After leaving school he and his other brothers assisted his father in developing the increased acreage that had been acquired.   In this work he gained a good knowledge of farming in all its phases, especially in sheep breeding.

 

With his brothers he took up seasonal work on surrounding farms and stations, shearing, ploughing and harvesting.   He and his brothers Hugh and Lake were members of Sheddon's threshing mill crew and did most of the threshing in the Warepa district.

 

In 1883, a Miss Elizabeth Harwood came to Warepa from Christchurch to visit her cousins, the Dabinetts, who owned the adjoining farm to Corydon, and so began a romance which led to marriage for Duncan and  Elizabeth.   Shortly after their marriage they went to the North Island on the advice of two of Duncan's mates who  had  secured  employment  on Maraekakaho  Station near Napier.   Duncan worked there for several years until he was appointed manager by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company for two of their properties at Tokomaru about 22km south of Palmerston North.   At the time the railway company had been  granted tracts of  land adjoining their line as a concession for building a line from Wellington to Longburn.

 

After developing these properties he bought a farm at Linton, closer to Palmerston North, which he farmed until he retired.

 

Duncan and Elizabeth had one son and two daughters.

 

Elizabeth died at Palmerston North in May 1922 and Duncan died the following year.   Both are buried  there.

 

 

 

 

Rubina Adeline Ayson

Corrie Duncan Ayson

Rebecca Lamond Ayson