LEWTHWAITE, JOHN (1816-92) was born in Halifax, Yorkshire. He purchased land orders from the Plymouth Company, and came to New Zealand in the Amelia Thompson (1841). Having selected his land at Waitara and Mangaoraka in 1842, he held it until being ejected by FitzRoy's order. He then paid visits to other provinces to calculate his prospects. In 1844 he was at Otakou with Tuckett, a son being born at Koputai. Lewthwaite returned to Taranaki and entered into business with some success. From 1856-58 he was M.H.R. for Grey and Bell. About 1860 he moved to Nelson, where also he took an interest in politics, being a member of the Provincial Council for Massacre Bay (1861-65). Besides being an enterprising man of business, Lewthwaite had considerable skill as a mechanic. He devised a floating breakwater for New Plymouth on a system which was adopted later by engineers and he invented a railway ticket stamping machine. Lewthwaite died in London on 2 Aug 1892.

Parlty Record; Cycl. N.Z., vi; The Colonist, 20 Sep 1892.

Reference: Volume 1, page 265

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