John Fraser (1875 - 1954)

Born 21 Sep 1875 in Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Ancestors

Son of Evander Fraser and Catherine (Grant) Fraser

Husband of Constance Elizabeth (Creagh) Fraser — married 28 Aug 1901 in St Andrews, Napier, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 27 Oct 1954 at age 79 in Wellington, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Alistair Fraser [send private message]

Biography

John Fraser, a stalwart of the New Zealand meat production industry, was born in Napier, New Zealand, on 22 August 1875. The eldest son of Evander and Catherine Fraser (née Grant), he would grow to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of his country's meat industry.

Evander and Catherine Fraser immigrated to New Zealand from the highlands of Scotland, landing in Napier on the SS Ballarat on 15 September 1872. They belonged to the esteemed Frasers of Lovat clan from Kirkhill Parish, Inverness-shire, Scotland. Their ancestors, fiercely loyal to Lord Lovat - Simon Fraser “the Fox”, had endured the severe highland clearance regimes imposed in the aftermath of the Jacobites' loss at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

John received his education at Napier Boys' High School before embarking on a career in the meat industry in 1892. He began working at Nelson Brothers Limited in Napier, swiftly ascending through the ranks to hold important positions such as the superintendent of the livestock department, and later, the general assistant to William Nelson, the owner.

When Nelson retired in 1909, John continued to assist William Richmond in running the frozen meat business and managing the company’s Tomoana Freezing works. Alongside his industrious career, John nurtured a love for rugby and represented the Hawkes Bay province, the Magpies, as a full-back.

On 28 August 1901, John married Constance (Connie) Elizabeth Creagh, the daughter of master mariner Capt. Benjamin Bousfield Creagh. The Creagh family traced their lineage back to Bally Andrew in County Cork, Ireland, with an illustrious history including Christopher Creagh, Mayor of Cork in 1541.

The couple welcomed their only child, John Maxwell Fraser, on 23 January 1913. Nine years later, in 1922, John Fraser Sr. accepted the role of the first General Manager of the newly formed New Zealand Meat Producers Board (NZMPB). With this position, he relocated to Wellington, commissioning the construction of a house for his family at 33 Pitt Street, Wadestown.

The NZMPB was established by the government to regulate the meat industry, ensuring fair marketing and quality grading to benefit all meat producers. As the first General Manager, John took on the responsibility to negotiate important deals and promote the New Zealand meat industry internationally.

John travelled to the UK with his family in 1923 to establish a London office for the board. This trip also saw him visit Argentina, one of New Zealand’s primary competitors in meat production. His detailed report on Argentina's meat industry proved invaluable for the board.

John's tenure as the NZMPB’s General Manager was marked by the world's two Great Wars and the economic hardship of the Great Depression. Despite the tumultuous times, he managed to secure provisions for New Zealanders and their allies abroad.

John Fraser was a true New Zealand hero, making monumental contributions to the national economy. His steady management and keen negotiation skills laid the foundation for New Zealand's prosperity in the 1950s and 1960s.

Described as a talented, fair, and highly skilled manager, John Fraser earned admiration for his integrity, trustworthiness, and discretion. Due to the sensitive nature of his work, many details of John's accomplishments remain confidential.

Even so, his lasting impact on the NZMPB and the meat industry as a whole cannot be understated. One such accomplishment was the negotiation of a four-year contract in 1944 for the British Ministry of Food to buy all of New Zealand’s meat exports. This deal provided security and boosted confidence among New Zealand's farmers.

Upon his retirement on 31 August 1945, the NZMPB honoured John's service in an illuminated citation, acknowledging his profound impact on the industry.

In his retirement, John retreated to his property at Paraparamu Beach, enjoying a quiet life with Connie and his family. He passed away on 27 October 1954 and was laid to rest next to Connie, who had passed away a year earlier, in Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand.

John Fraser's story is an exemplar of dedication and hard work, contributing to the prosperity of New Zealand's meat industry, the backbone of the country's economy. His life and work continue to inspire and inform, shaping the industry for future generations.

Research Notes and useful links

The following are links to additional photos, references, scans of newspaper cuttings, letters, certificates and other material concerning John: NB: To stay on this page and open any of the links to another right-click the link: - Copy of John’s birth certificate https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQmU07OWUmqBpfHsA?e=h7qpeC - Link to a higher definition version the photo above of John https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQj0gubFjFZO8PZCw?e=bxEg2W - Copies of pages from the Fraser family bible with marriage details about Evander and Catherine plus their children https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRG1mzuRcWn9YeZrQ?e=aTy9Zn - New Zealand Archives SS Ballarat passenger list showing the Frasers arriving in Napier on 15 September 1872 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D439-DV1?i=5&cc=1609792 -Copy of Kirkhill Old Parish Register showing a record of the birth of Evander Fraser in 1843 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRHOZinFXBV8XVlcw?e=URDHZC - Descriptions of the Scottish highland clearances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances - The Highland Clearances and the Act of Proscription that followed the Battle of Culloden were a direct attack on the highland way of life https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/video-highland-clearances-scattered-scots-around-world-318519 -William Nelson’s biography https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2n6/nelson-william - A reference for John written by William Nelson in 1920 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQoAiM78rPC0OlZvw?e=2f5qfq -William Richmond’s biography https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4r16/richmond-william - A photo of the Caledonian Football Club Senior Team in 1897 with John standing at top right https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQr0K72wrXcu4dnHA?e=8ucC7X -Link to a NZ truth story about John’s fine standing as an inter-provincial rugby player, team member and for being a person of high reputation in the Hawke’s Bay on the occasion of his appointment as NZMPB’s GM in 1922 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQeAdaLPUwMZc3qYg?e=N3D6Ae - Copy of John and Connie’s wedding certificate https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQklhwCPKsP7EsJew?e=NsjXj0 - A note of congratulations and best wishes to John on the occasion of his marriage to Connie from the managers of Tomoana Works signed by William Nelson and 17 others in 1901 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQiHJczW508hbXkSQ?e=L92J8Y -Capt. B. B. Creagh’s obituary on his death in 1905 with comments about famous members of the Creagh family https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRIJQfblunDZ4kV2w?e=6qYJ3u -Details about the estate of the Creaghs of Bally Andrew, County Cork https://landedestates.ie/property/3240 - Cork City Council list of Mayors https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/councillors-and-democracy/lord-mayor-of-cork/previous-mayors-of-cork/ - William Makepeace Thackeray biography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Makepeace_Thackeray - John’s letter of application for the NZMPB GM role, written in April 1922 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRB2YgFxpkTHvvybg?e=HQPY7Y - Newspaper announcement of John’s appointment to be GM of the NZMPB https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ9qSZYHYmdWTzKjA?e=WXxrgt - Photo of the first NZMPB taken in 1922, John is standing on the far right https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQn_Bt9-ANevO9Shw?e=XVNH5Z a list of members of the meat producers board in the photo is here https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQpc0z2xfnb1JrDSQ?e=XnTYM5 - Newspaper article from 1922 describing John travelling throughout NZ explaining about how meat production would become quality graded and how uniformity of this was to be undertaken by producers https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ7XKZ2y-tRW1FceA?e=qpwwzi - Interview with John and story about the pork on the London pork market in 1926 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ1RO5wVW-kiSj6cg - Newspaper announcement in May 1923 about John and his family’s departure on a NZMPB trip to Argentina, Great Britain, and other countries https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQsgTBGAGZG0FPveg?e=m3eJVN - An Argentinian newspaper story about John’s visit there just before he departed for London, including places he visited and their high opinion for him as a businessman https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ7XKZ2y-tRW1FceA?e=qpwwzi - NZ newspaper article about a report made by John made for the NZ Fruit Growers Federation about his notes on the position of the apple trade in Argentina and Uruguay https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQxvprnlSYqWgHtWw?e=cKDlcr https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1j-ZtUYIPUltb0tFV7g - Letter from the Rt. Hon. Wm. Massey NZ Prime Minister to John written in March 1924 congratulating and thanking John for supplying a photo and description of an exhibition of refrigerated NZ lamb that was shown off in London https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRDGM5baMxyeha5_w - NZ Times Nov. 1923 story about a major report on the Meat Industry by John Fraser following his return from 6 months abroad https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQwkM7vRURGgQtBjQ -An Evening Post newspaper story about a ten-day, 2,000-mile trip around Great Britain made by John promoting NZ meat in 1935 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ6aD2qaTtZg7QdXw - Christmas Greeting telegram from Rt. Hon. Sir Walter Nash to John in 1938 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRCOANad15wuCc0FQ?e=T4m63g - Northern Advocate newspaper story in Oct. 1936 announcing a visit to London, UK by Rt. Hon Sir Walter Nash, and John Fraser to negotiate a trade agreement https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJRA16WxHLBlnu9Eng?e=PwrFxP -Newspaper story describing John’s career at the NZMPB on the occasion of the handover of the GM role to his successor in 1945 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQgoY3SNaw1RXY0-g?e=JDZGKR - Tributes for John and accounts of valuable service given by him written in 1945 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ0kQ42lbMmcTaGpg?e=jySo2G & here https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQvoUgbDOkWf7HZRA?e=LaS7SU - Nevertheless, despite the sensitivity of John’s work much was published. Here is a search link for “J Fraser” & “Meat Producers Board” in NZ Papers Past – Newspapers https://bit.ly/35tmpyg -Newspaper article about a report to the NZ Govt. Minister of Agriculture from John Fraser noting the NZMPB had taken considerable interest in the marked increase in flocks reported in the annual sheep returns for the Y.E. 30 April 1928 https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQ-YSzDCL799kHf-Q?e=Nf22jM - A search link for “Meat Producers Board” in NZ Papers Past – Parliamentary Papers section https://bit.ly/3i2M9Xg -Hayward, Dai. (1972), Golden Jubilee – The story of the First Fifty Years of the New Zealand Meat Producers board 1922-1972 (pp.64-65). Universal Printers Ltd, Wellington, NZ. -See this link to view a photo of a magnificent, illuminated citation of appreciation made for John Fraser Esq. from the NZMPB and presented to him on 31 August 1945 with 36 signatures: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQdw_X3pwfTdK37cg?e=eCFHN0 -Photo of the NZMPB in 1945 in Wellington, John is sitting at bottom left https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1j-ZlY3zOjcS4gxrQcg -Copies of obituaries and notices of death for John Fraser https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQfzso3j-_2L6mO9Q?e=DXfGkP - Notice of death for Connie Fraser https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsCP_YQ8XEY1kJQcvAgdru1aobhjVw?e=8JbT7s ^[1]

Sources

• New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New Zealand Cemetery Records. New Zealand Society of Genealogists Incorporated.
• New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937 Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New Zealand Marriage Index, 1840–1950. Microfiche.

1. ↑ This biography was written by Alistair FraserAlistair Fraser as remembered 15 January 2021

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between John's grandson Alistair Fraser and JC his second cousin twice removed. Alistair has contacted JC via Ancestry messaging and they have agreed their connection line is accurate. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great grandparents, Evander Fraser. and Catherine Grant. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2nd Cousins 2x removed, based on sharing 127cM across 5 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.