BOYS, JOHN COWELL (1824-89) was born in Sussex and brought up in the village of Betshanger. At the age of 17 he was appointed a cadet on the survey staff of the New Zealand Company and came in the Will Watch to Nelson where he spent three years in exploring and surveys. He returned to England in 1845, completed his professional qualifications and again came to New Zealand in 1849. He was engaged for some time under Captain Thomas in the triangulation of the district between the Waimakariri and the Waipara and afterwards under Cass on road sectional survey in Canterbury. In 1853 he joined Colonel Campbell's staff to adjust the French claims on Banks Peninsula. He married and settled on his property, Betshanger, near Rangiora. Owing to ill-health he gave up field work as district surveyor and was inspector of surveys until the abolition of the provinces. Boys was a noted breeder of Romney sheep, and a keen advocate of acclimatisation (in which interest he paid an extended visit to the Australian colonies). He advised the introduction of the soft-billed hedge sparrow to combat the caterpillar in Canterbury. He was for many years a member of the waste lands board and the hospital and charitable aid board and chairman of the Rangiora and Mandeville road board. He died on 13 Jun 1889.

N.Z.C.; Acland; Cycl. N.Z., ii; Lyttelton Times, 14 Jun 1889.

Reference: Volume 1, page 58

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