Biography

John Scott was born in 1828 in Scotland. He took up the trade of engineering in his early years, and was for many years leading engineer of mail boats running between Glasgow and Londonderry. He married around January, 1853. During the American Civil War his employers sent him out to run the blockade, bringing in supplies to the Confederate States, at which time he had many interesting experiences.

In October 1863, he moved with his family to New Zealand, seeking a better life in the colony. They arrived in early 1864, and John started an engineering shop in Milton, which was at that time busy with miners and sundry other characters seeking fortune and fame on the New Zealand goldfields. By 1865, though, he switched trades, and moved into the sawmill business, near the town of New Plymouth. However, within a few months, John had to abandon this occupation because of the Maori War, and he moved on to Auckland, finding employment at the Gasworks there. After this he returned to the sea life, before taking shares in quartz mining and then taking up dredging.

John Scott once more took up his engineering trade in 1875, and was employed with the Union Steam Ship Company. He finally settled in Dunedin, where he was engaged in 1888 at the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, and was later to be promoted to managing engineer of the company. His death in 1905 left a widow and six children.

(Details from John Scott’s Obituary, the Otago Witness, 14th June 1905)