Hugh Murray-Aynsley

Murray-Aynsley was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1828. His father was John Murray-Aynsley (1795–1870) from Little Harle Tower,[2] his grandfather was Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley (1771–1808), and his great-grandfather was John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl (1729–1774).[3][4][5] His mother was Emma Sarah Peach, and his mother's grandfather was Henry Cruger.[4] His grandfather was baptised as Charles Murray and upon his marriage to Alicia Mitford (1768–1813), the heiress of her great-uncle, Gawen Aynsley, Esq, he assumed the additional surname Aynsley. Murray-Aynsley was educated privately; his tutor later became Bishop of Ely.[6]

For a time, Murray-Aynsley managed a sugar plantation in Trinidad for his cousin, Sir William Miles, with the firm operating as Miles & Co.[2][6] He came to Melbourne on the Royal Bride, and from there to New Zealand in 1858, arriving on the Queen in Lyttelton.[6][5]

Riverlaw in Christchurch

He was manager and the principal partner for the Christchurch branch of Miles & Co, a stock and station agency.[5] He married Elizabeth Campbell on 7 June 1859.[4] In 1862, Murray-Aynsley purchased Riverlaw, a rural property at the bottom of Rapaki Track adjacent to the Heathcote River originally owned by Alexander Lean.[7] Sometime between 1885 and 1892, Murray-Aynsley had a two-storey homestead built. He sold Riverlaw in 1905 to George John Smith, who further enlarged the house including the addition of a third storey. On 6 September 1984, the house was registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage place, with registration number 3728;[8] Riverlaw was regarded as one of the finest colonial homes in Christchurch.[9] It was significantly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and demolished soon after.[10]

Murray-Aynsley also bought the Mount Hutt Station in the Canterbury foothills from Alexander Lean.[5][11]

In 1873, he was one of the founders of the New Zealand Shipping Company. He was one of the directors, and then chairman of directors until his death.[6]

He was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council for the Town of Lyttelton electorate from 6 February 1864 to 7 May 1866.[12] He was a member of the Canterbury Executive Council from 22 July 1862 to 13 November 1863 under Robert Wilkin, and for a few days until his resignation under Thomas Cass.[13][14] He was Deputy Superintendent from 31 May 1869 to August 1872 and stood in for William Rolleston in 1869 who was in Wellington attending Parliament.[15][6]

He represented the Lyttelton electorate in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1879, when he was defeated by Harry Allwright, the Mayor of Lyttelton.[16][17]

Note that some sources, for example Wilson (1985) and Scholefield (1950), list him under the surname Aynsley.

Murray-Aynsley died on 22 February 1917 at his residence at 38 Holly Road, St Albans, Christchurch.[18] He was buried at Woolston Cemetery.[19]

A variety of geographic features commemorate Murray-Aynsley. A spur of the Port Hills above the old homestead is known as Murray Aynsley Hill.[20][21] Two roads on the true right of the Heathcote River, initially known as River Road, were renamed. While Murray-Aynsley was still alive, the road from Opawa Bridge to Rapaki Track was renamed Aynsley Terrace; the homestead was located at the Rapaki Track end of this road.[22][23] The next section of road upstream from here was renamed to Riverlaw Terrace in the following year some months after Murray-Aynsley's death.[24][25] Harold Street in Sydenham was on land that belonged to Murray-Aynsley; it was initially known as Aynsleys Alley No 4, and then Aynsley Street.[26]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hugh Murray-Aynsley.

• Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Mr. Hugh Percy Murray-Aynsley". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
• Ogilvie, Gordon (2009). The Port Hills of Christchurch (2nd ed.). Christchurch: Phillips & King Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9583315-6-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wigram, Henry (1916). The Story of Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch: Lyttelton Times.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)