COROMANDEL RESIDENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 242, 13 October 1941, Page 9

COROMANDEL RESIDENT

DEATH OF PIONEER

SIX-MILE WALK AT 97 ! An old resident of Coromandel, Mrs. Mary Ann Ecclestone, died at her home in Mercury Bay Road. Mrs. Ecclestone, who was aged 97, went through all the vicissitudes of the early mining days in Coromandel. She was born in Carlisle and came to New Zealand in the ship Resolute in 1859 with her brother, who was afterwards drowned while building the Whangarei wharf.

Mrs. Ecclestone lived at first in Devoreprt, Auckland, and came to ThanWs with the first gold rush. She was married in Thames to the late Mr. James Ecclestone, and shortly afterwards they moved to Coromandel, residing in. the upper township for a number of years. Mr. Ecclestone took a farm on the Mercury Bay Road. He died in 1912.

Mrs. Ecclestone leaves a family of seven—five sons and two daughters. They are Mesdames M. Walden, Sydney; and S. Davis, Coromandel; Messrs. Robert and James Ecclestone, Coromandel; Thomas, John and George Ecclestone, Auckland. There are 22 grandchildren, 51 igreat-grand-children and three great-great-grand-children.

Mrs. Ecclestone was a most active woman right to the end of her days. She was known to have had only one illness in her long life. Within the last few weeks she made a sixmile walk from the farm to Coromandel and back.