John Fraser Ayson, 1882 - 1961

John Fraser Ayson, the only son of Peter Ayson Jnr, was born at Corydon on 21 July 1881.

 

John's father was the eldest son of Peter Ayson, who was the eldest son of William of 1762, and having lived at Warepa, the cradle of the Peter Ayson branch.

 

After leaving the Warepa School, John became apprenticed to the building trade, following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather, who were builders before and after they became farmers, and John's three sons were also engaged in the same trade.

 

John married Agnes Stewart, the fifth daughter of  Mr & Mrs James Stewart of Warepa.   James Stewart was born at Birkhill in Fifeshire, Scotland, and after spending some time in Australia , came to Otago in the ship "Lightning" at the time of Gabriel's Gully rush.

 

James married Jane Ledingham, who was born at Keith in Bamffshire, Scotland, and came to Otago in the "Pladda".

 

They settled on the Newton farm about 3km from Corydon.

 

Agnes took a keen interest in women's affairs for many years.   She was the first President of the Warepa Women's Institute from 1930 to 1934,  later she was President of the  Otago  and  Southland  Federation of Women's Institutes and when this was divided into smaller districts she was President of the South Otago Federation and for four years was a member of the Dominion Executive.

 

Agnes, and those who helped her, will best be remembered by members of the clan for the manner in which she entertained them at the Warepa Hall in 1953.

 

John died on 26 September 1961 and Agnes on 1 November 1967.    Both are buried at Balclutha.