Dent family connections
When Steele requested his commission as captain of Company 4 he also requested that John Crawford, his sergeant in the Wairoa Rifle Volunteers, receive a commission as ensign and this was granted on 29 Mar 1864. John Crwawford arrived in Hamilton, Wednesday 24 Aug 1864, with the 4th regiment and was the first man to jump ashore.
His town grant was an acre on the corner of Grey and Cook Streets in Hamilton East. He also received a farm block of 200 acres. John set about improving his farm, establishing a four-roomed house, garden, stockyard etc. The property was later sold to Isaac Coates and in the early 20th century became part of the Ruakura Agriculture Research Centre. There was also a one-roomed building on his land which had been built by Lieutenant Johnstone. Johnstone had selected land to the north of Crawford's but when he brought his stock from Wairoa, he found that he could not get to his land until a satisfactory road and bridge were built. The men had been close friends from their days in the Wairoa Volunteer Rifles and Crawford had suggested that he run the stock on his land in the interim.
John died in 1879, aged 41 years, and was buried in the Hamilton East cemetery. His Brother also settled in Hamilton.