NINETY YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 97, 27 April 1938, Page 22

NINETY YEARS.

MR. JOHN GREGORY. PIONEER OF FRANKLIN. IN DOMINION SINCE 1874. i One of the early settlers in the Franklin district. Air. John Gregory, of 77. Balmoral Road, has celebrated his 90th birthday. He has been in New Zealand for 04 years, having arrived in 1874 by the Miltiades. After working for several years in Auckland, he took up farming in bush country at Puni, at Franklin, where until 1903 he was one of the best-known settlers iu the district. To-day Mr. Gregory looked Iwck over the long span of years and a quiet and useful life. He told of the difficulties of tlie early settlers in the Franklin county, the clearing of the bush, and the years that followed when the farms were improved and the district and surrounding districts became closely settled. 11l Anglican C'hurcli work and school committee work Mr. Gregory took a leading part, and he gave the first site for a school for the dist.net.

Twenty-three years ago Mr. Gregory went to and visited Hinton-on-the-<Jreen. the village that lie lived in as a boy in < iloueestershire. He said that it had scarcely changed, and when he got there he met one of the friends of his youth walking down the village pathway. They recognised each other at once, and they lt-id much to talk about. Mrs. Gregory died seven years ago. They had 12 children. One son was killed in the war and there are 11 living. There are seven sons. Messrs. Cicorge Gregory (Mount Roskill). .lames (Jregory (Mount Roskill). MeAsrs. K. <T. and H. ('. (iregory, of tiisborne. Mr. A. W. Cregorv (Te Awamutu). Mr. A. E. (Jregorv (Mount Eden), and Mr. A. H. (iregorv (Mangere). The four daughters are Mesdames L- A. Mason (Mount Roskill). E. Evans (Mount Albert), F. Wright (Penrose), and Miss Gregory, of Balmoral Road.