James Fraser Ayson was the second son of Peter Ayson of Corydon (whose portrait is in the next row on this wall). He was born at Glenshee in the Scottish Highlands in 1837 and was 16 when he came to Otago with his parents and siblings on the Royal Albert in 1853. He owes his position in the portrait sequence to his wife, Christina Robson, who arrived two years earlier on the Columbus. James had spent his first years in the colony helping his father establish the ‘Corydon’ property at Warepa. In 1864 he and his brother Peter leased land in their own right at Finegand, working it in partnership for almost 20 years.
James and Christina were married at Balclutha in 1869 and established a large family of four sons and eight daughters. In 1885 James bought a farm of his own at Kaihiku on which he ran sheep and cattle and grew crops. He was very community-minded and served on the school committee and as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He was also a good singer, in demand at local entertainments and a member of a choir. He represented his district on the Clutha County Council for many years. The Aysons celebrated their golden wedding in Dunedin in 1919. James died there in 1928, aged 91.
James Fraser Ayson