John Studholme

The Right Honourable John Studholme Esq.
Constituency	Kaiapoi, Gladstone
Personal details
Born	29 May 1829 Carlisle, England
Died	7 March 1903(1903-03-07) (aged 73) Northhamptonshire, England
Political party	Independant
Spouse	Lucy Ellen Sykes Moorhouse (m. 10 February 1862)
Children	Lucy Ellen Studholme, Florence Mary Studholme, Lt-Col. John Studholme, William Paul Studholme, Joseph Francis Studholme
Alma mater	Queens College, Oxford

John Studholme (1829–1903) was a 19th-century British nobleman, early pioneer of New Zealand, farmer, philanthropist and politician in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

Early life

John Studholme was born in 1829 to John Studholme, an aristocratic landowner from Cumbria, England. He was educated at Sedbergh School and Queens College, Oxford, where he was a university scholar and earned a blue rowing in the university eight.

At the age of 22, Studholme sailed to New Zealand with his two younger brothers Michael and Paul. Together they bought farmland in Selwyn and Rakaia. However the following year, after having set up farms they travelled to Australia to pursue the Victorian gold rush.

Establishing settlement and farming activities

In 1852, the Studholme brothers returned to New Zealand. Famously, they took a ship which only went as far as Nelson. Together they walked the 350 miles back to Christchurch. From this time on John and Michael began establishing large stations in both the North and South Islands. Paul Studholme returned to England in 1858. Over the next 20 years they acquired over 370,000 hectares (900,000 acres) and farmed extensively.

In 1854, to purchase cattle John and Michael Studholme both walked from Lyttelton to Dunedin (some 250 miles) at a time when there were no roads or bridged rivers. This made them the first Europeans to make such a journey, and along with William Henry Valpy the first Europeans to explore the South Island extensively on foot. Arriving in Dunedin, their cheque was refused at the cattle market since there was no bank yet in Otago to process it and no business transactions between the two provinces existed. John walked back to Lyttelton to get cash, leaving Michael with the cattle. He returned crossing rivers alone with the cash, blankets and provisions at great risk. From Dunedin after having paid for the cattle, the Studholme brothers took the cattle back to Christchurch crossing the Waitaki River. This would have been the first such crossing.

Time in Parliament

As a party-independent politician, he represented the Kaiapoi electorate from 1867 to 1874, when he resigned. He then represented the Gladstone electorate from 1879 to 1881, when he retired. He stood for Ashburton in 1902, and came second.

It is said that Studholme was repeatedly pressed by Prime Minister William Fox to join the government however he resolutely refused.

Personal life

Studholme married Lucy Ellen Sykes Moorhouse in 1862, the daughter of William Moorhouse of Knottingley House, Knottingley, Yorkshire. Her brother, William Sefton Moorhouse, was Superintendent of Canterbury Province. They had five children, among them Colonel John Studholme, after whom Studholme College at the University of Otago is named.

Both John and Michael Studholme were avid horseracing enthusiasts, owning several racehorses including Canterbury Cup champion Knottingley. John served on the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club for many years.

The South Canterbury township of Studholme is named for the Studholme brothers, most particularly Michael, who was the first settler in the area.

References

• Mosley, Charles (ed.) (2003) Burke's peerage, baronetage & knightage (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.
• Reed, A.W. (1975) Place names of New Zealand. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103