DEATH OF MAJOR MINNETT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 154, 30 June 1903, Page 3

DEATH OF MAJOR MINNETT.

c Yesterday the death of Major Charles Goring Minnett, at the age of 07, was announced by us. The deceased gentleman was an officer of repute, and m his day had rendered much useful service. His ceath was due to pneumonia, and his end occurred in the Waikato Hospital, whither he had been removed for convenience of treatment. For the past sixteen years the deceased officer lived in the Waikato, and for the last six held the position of librarian at Cambridge, and there, by his kindly .nature, ingratiated himself with all wiio came in contact with him. He was the eldest son of the late I Joshua Minnett, of Annaghbeg, Nenagh, County Tipperary, his mother being a j Miss Goring, sister of the late Foster Goring, for many years clerk to the Executive Council at Wellington. Boris in 1830, he began his military career in 1858 as an ensign of the 18th Fool, (better known as the Royal Irish), being elevated to a lieutenancy in 1802, a captaincy in 1873,' and retiring with the. rank of Major in 1878. He came to New Zealand on the head-quarters staff with the original contingent of Royal Irish in 1860, by the ship Elizabeth Ann Bright, and from 1803 to 1870 served with his regiment in the ioeal wars. He secured at the Hyde School, in .1800. the highest certificate in musketry, and in 1563 was appointed musketry instructor to his regiment, and in 1804 to the Waikato militia—a position he held till his retirement, after 20 years' service. When he left the Imperial service in IS7S his rank was increased to that of Brevet Major, and after paying a visit to England he returned to the colony to receive the position of Sub-Inspector of Armed Constabulary, being stationed for some years at Kihikilii. He left that service after five years' application to it, was for five years Instructor - General of Musketry to the N.Z. Forces, and till 1892 he was interested in coal mining at Huntly, retiring from it on account of an accident which he suffered. In ISO!) he was appointed librarian at Cambridge, and held the position till his death. He married in 1804 the second daugh- ! ter of Sir Frederick WhMaker. His wife survives him, and he leaves a grown-up family of two sons and three daughters, the eldest of the latter being married to Mr R. W. Dyer, solicitor, of Hamilton. His e'dest son is in the service of the N.Z. Insurance Co. at Shanghai, and the other is in the Union S S. Co. He was a man who held the friendship of nearly all who came in contact with him, and his loss is especially resetted by the survivors of the Royal Trrsh now in Auckland. The funeral took place this afternoon.