HESLOP, JOHN (1838-1929) was born in the Cheviot Hills, Northumberland; educated at Blackburn and Redsdale, and came to New Zealand in the Indian Queen (1857). He gained experience on John Sutherland's run at Castle Point and became manager of Hatuma estate. At the action of Omarunui a bullet passed through his hat. He was later corporal in the Waipawa cavalry. With his father Heslop took up a swamp property at Patangata, which they had to abandon after the Waipawa river had broken a new course and transformed the swamp into a lake. In 1863 Heslop and S. Thorpe chartered the Rangatira to ship bullock teams and merchandise to Otago, intending to cart stores to the Dunstan. The outlook being unfavourable, they withdrew and carted wool in Hawkes Bay for some years. In 1872 he drove stock through the Manawatu gorge. He explored other unfrequented routes in Waikato and the King Country. In 1873 he settled on a farm within 10 miles of Wanganui. He became a member of the first county council (1876), on which he sat until leaving the district in 1883 to take up a new property at Mawhitiwhitu, where he was a successful breeder of shorthorn and Holstein cattle. He was chairman of the Goat Valley and Matapu school committees, a member of the Taranaki land board (1904-21), the lands for settlement board, the Egmont forest board, the forest conservation board, and the Wanganui, Hawera and Egmont licensing committees; the Hawera county council (1884-98; chairman six years); the Waimate road board (10 years), and the Taranaki hospital and charitable aid board.

Heslop tried to win the Patea seat in Parliament (being defeated by F. H. Haselden Nov 1901). In 1921 he was appointed a Government member of the assessment court. Heslop married (1874) a daughter of M. U. Goodson (East Coast). He died on 6 Feb 1929.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Cycl. N.Z., vi (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 208

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