Page:Reminiscences of Earliest Canterbury 1915.pdf/159

 James D. Greenwood, Joseph Greenwood, Edward Greenwood, 1840-50. These three brothers came south from Wellington in the schooner Richmond, owned by Messrs. Sinclair and Hay in the year 1843. They took possession of Purau and Motonau. They all lived together at Purau in a house which they built, and which, at that time, was considered quite a mansion. Unfortunately, in the middle of the ’forties, they were victimised by bushrangers, who tied them up in their own kitchen, and robbed them of all the money and valuables they had in the house. Shortly afterwards, still more unfortunately, Mr. Joseph Greenwood was drowned in a whaleboat along with “Johnny” Moles and a Maori during a trip from Purau to Motonau. These two incidents, especially the latter, so depressed and disheartened the two remaining brothers that in 1847 they sold Purau to Messrs. W. B. and George Rhodes for a very low figure, notwithstanding that at the time it was well stocked with sheep and cattle. The two Greenwoods then sailed for Sydney with the intention of purchasing stock for Motonau. Ill luck still pursued them, for one of the brothers died in New South Wales. The survivor