STUDHOLME, JOHN (1829-1903) was the second son of John Studholme, of Morton House, near Carlisle. The family, which was of Scandinavian origin, first settled at Hinchcliffe, in Durham, and moved into Cumberland some centuries ago. Studholme was educated at Sedbergh school, in the West Riding. While he was there his father died. Nevertheless he went on to Oxford, entering at Queen's College. He was an exhibitioner of his College and a promising classical scholar. He rowed in his college eight; was in the winning boat in the University competitions, and a winner in rowing competitions at Henley (in company with Gordon Rich, q.v.). Among the fellows of Queen's College then were Henry Jacobs (q.v.) and William Thomson (afterwards Archbishop of York).

At Oxford Studholme became attracted to the colonies and had almost decided to go to Queensland when the Canterbury scheme came under his notice. He stopped short in his university course, purchased land orders, and with his brothers Paul and Michael sailed in Apr 1851 in the Labuan. The first land they selected, at Governor's Bay, was too restricted for their purpose, and before long they acquired The Terrace, and The Point, between the Rakaia and Selwyn rivers. In 1852, with George Brayshaw, they went to the Australian diggings, where they were associated for a while with Moorhouse. Having no luck, they returned to Nelson, and John walked alone to Christchurch. Finding the Waiau in flood, he went back to Kaikoura, and persuaded the whalers to row him to the south side of the mouth of the river. Having bought out Brayshaw's interest in The Terrace and taken temporary sub-leases of other blocks, the brothers worked nearly the whole country between the Selwyn and Rakaia, from the sea to the hills. John indulged his passion for exploring, making long journeys on foot and generally alone. Once he walked from Nelson to the Bluff. With the exception of Valpy, the Studholmes were the first white overlanders between Christchurch and Dunedin, and they were the first to cross cattle over the Waitaki river. On one occasion (1853) John and Michael walked to Dunedin to purchase cattle. The dealer sought to escape his bargain by declining to accept a cheque on a Christchurch bank. There being no way out of the difficulty, the brothers tossed a coin and the lot fell to John to walk to Christchurch for the money, with which he returned in less than three weeks.

In 1854, with Dr Menzies and Captain E. H. W. Bellairs, Studholme walked through south Otago to inspect the country which had been purchased by the Government from the natives. His two companions stopped at the Oreti, and Studholme continued alone as far as the Waiau. He selected a cattle station near Riverton, some country on the upper Taieri (afterwards Hawkdun station), and a tract between Makikihi and Waihao in south Canterbury. The last-named, known as the Waimate run, was taken up by Michael, and he drove his effects there in Jul 1854. Three years later the brothers took up an additional 25,000 acres in the forks of the Waihao. John, as the business partner, supervised the distant properties; Paul managed the Hororata run, and Michael at Waimate. Paul sold out in 1858 to live in Ireland, and John made his headquarters on the Rakaia run and built a new homestead on the Hororata river. In 1867 the brothers sold their interest in the Rakaia land and acquired the goodwill of the Coldstream run, then a government leasehold. They paid particular attention to their holdings in south Canterbury, improving the land and constantly importing stud sheep and cattle.

In 1875 John, Michael, Edward Moorhouse and others took up a large block of native leasehold in the Murimotu country, south of Ruapehu. This was at that time cut off by impenetrable bush from Wellington and Taranaki, and all wool and stores had to be carried on packhorses 120 miles on a Maori track between Murimotu and Napier. The Studholmes afterwards acquired the goodwill of the Maori leasehold of the Owhaoko block, in inland Patea, where a homestead was established 3,000 feet above sea-level. When these proved to be good country there were protracted disputes between different sections of the natives, and the Murimotu wool was held up for two years owing to this obstruction. The expense of litigation caused the partners to withdraw, and Studholme was left in alone until the end of the Murimotu lease, when the Government cut the land up for settlement. The Owhaoko lease expired some years later. Studholme had a share also in the Te Akau run, north of Raglan, and the Morrinsville run in the Thames valley, and spent much money fencing and draining. By 1878 the Studholmes had sold their Otago properties and Hororata and were concentrating on Coldstream and Waimate. Their total shearing tally on all their properties was about 115,000.

Studholme was not too much engrossed in his properties to play a part in public life. He went into politics several times unostentatiously and modestly, speaking as seldom as he could, and declining the invitation of Fox to join one of his cabinets. He was one of the earliest justices in the province. In 1857 he was elected to the Provincial Council as the first member for Timaru (which extended from the Ashburton to the Waitaki), but retired at the end of 1858. In 1861 he was elected to represent Rakaia, but retired in 1861. In 1869 he was elected for Ashburton, which he represented to 1874, when he retired to visit England. In Parliament Studholme represented Kaiapoi (1867-74) and Gladstone (1879-81). He was only once opposed, and the only time he ever addressed his constituents was at Waimate in 1879. In politics he supported Fox, Hall, and Atkinson, and he regarded Grey as a harmful politician. In 1864 Studholme was elected to the first Waitangi road board, of which he was chairman. In 1874 he and his brother presented to the town of Waimate an area of 83 acres, which bears the name of Knottingley Park. The Studholmes took a great interest in racing, and were for many years prominent owners. Such names as Knottingley (who won the Canterbury Cup twice), Magenta, Stormbird, Nebula, and Belle of the Isle were associated with the Waimate stables. Studholme was honorary secretary of the Canterbury Jockey club for some years, and for many more a steward and member of committee. In the business world he was a promoter of the New Zealand Shipping Co., of which he was a director for many years and finally on the London board. He also helped to establish the Union Insurance Co. (afterwards absorbed by the Alliance). Broad-minded, large-hearted, and generous, he was modest and retiring in disposition; a good citizen, and a bold and enterprising venturer.

Studholme died on 7 Mar 1903. He married (1862) Lucy Ellen Sykes, daughter of William Moorhouse, of Knottingley, Yorkshire, and sister of William Sefton Moorhouse. She died in 1926.

Canterbury P.C. Proc.; Cycl. N.Z., iii; Acland; Roberts; Andersen; Woodhouse; Australian Pastoralists' Review, 17 Apr 1903; Lyttelton Times, 29 Sep 1886; G. H. Scholefield in The Press, 10, 21 Mar 1903, 12 Jul 1890 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 177

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