Affectionately known as ‘Mutton Chops’ because of his bushy sideburns, Frederick arrived at Lyttelton in 1852. There is not a lot about him until 1867 when he bought property and built a fine home he called ‘Yaldhurst’ – the name of his Uncle’s property in Exeter, England. He had returned home to England twice during this time – firstly to get married to his sweetheart, Phoebe, and then again to bring the rest of his family out to Canterbury. He and Phoebe would go on to have 11 children.
Very passionate about horses, he opened his own stables and training track – Yaldhurst Training Stables – which were opposite St Peter’s Anglican Church on Church Corner, Upper Riccarton. He purchased a fine mare, ‘Belle of the Isles’, from an unnamed Canterbury breeder and through her, won the ‘Timaru Cup’ in 1868. Along with his Yaldhurst stables, Frederick opened more in Cashel Street and became a daily regular at The Christchurch Club on Worcester Street.
‘Templeton’, the son of ‘Belle of the Isles’ was born at Yaldhurst and went on to win not only the ‘Canterbury Cup’ but the ‘Auckland Cup’ too. Tragically, ‘Templeton’ died when he accidentally ran into a cow who had wandered onto the track at Yaldhurst.
Meanwhile, 3 miles away was an area known as the Southbridge Junction. Considered as an important intersection of two main highways – now State Highways 1 and 73A – it was the beginning of the main road heading south. Around the late 1870’s, the Junction was starting to be confused the township of Southbridge and on the 2nd of September 1878, the junction was officially referred to as Hornby.
The name Hornby is believed to have come from Frederick and with the town, ‘Hornby-with-Farleton’ in Lancashire, England – the connection not quite known.
The first settler in Hornby was Archdeacon Wilson who immediately began to subdivide his property ‘Broomfield’. There was no real interest in the area for settlement until Smarts Pit (NB Smarts Road) opened – selling gravel, sand and metals that went into some of the city’s first roads. Two meat works followed and with the arrival of the railway, it boosted the area’s population.
John Buchanan – who had arrived on the Castle Eden, the Canterbury Association’s 5th ship – opened an accommodation house. His memory is acknowledged in the name of Buchanans Road.
Frederick died in 1910 as he climbed down from a Hanson Cab. He was 75 years old and was a great lover of life. His legacy and that of his family now live on not only in the naming of these two suburbs but also in 16 street names, in a area just off Buchanans Road – beyond Broomfield Domain.
*image courtesy of http://www.delamain.co.nz/*
