LITTLE, JAMES (1834-1921) was born in the parish of Moorefoot, Midlothian, Scotland. In 1863 he came to New Zealand in the Canterbury as manager to Dr George Webster (q.v.) on the Corriedale and Balruddery estates, in north Otago. He brought with him 22 Romney Marsh ewes and nine rams, some of the first of that breed to come to New Zealand. Sheep owners ridiculed the idea of using such a breed in a part of the country where the merino was predominant. Little in a year or two recognised that they were right, but was convinced that the merino also would have to go. He suggested to Dr Webster experimenting by crossing the Romneys with the merino flock at Corriedale and so producing an inbred halfbred sheep. At that time there was no English grass on either station and the native tussock would not carry the coarse-feeding Romney. Little had considerable success in showing and selling Romneys in Canterbury, and Webster then made available a flock of 600 ewes for his experiment, and was prepared to stand the loss if the inbred flock should prove a failure. When Webster died (1878) Little bought his Lincolns and a large number of merinos and established himself on the Allandale estate in North Canterbury. The Lincoln-merino cross he named 'Corriedale' because it was first produced on that station. After a few years he showed inbred Corriedales in Canterbury shows. Little began his flock at Allandale about 1878 or 1879, and by 1890 the new inbred Corriedale was thoroughly established. In 1911 the breed was admitted to the Flock Book. In 1923 there were 105 registered flocks in the South Island and seven in the North. Corriedale sheep became an established and very successful breed and many animals were shipped to other sheep countries. Little also bred Ayrshire cattle and Clydesdale and Shire horses. He died in 1921.

James Little, The Story of the Corriedale (1927); Playne.

Reference: Volume 1, page 267

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