DEATH OF MR ALEXANDER GRIGOR.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 66, 23 July 1908, Page 5

DEATH OF MR ALEXANDER GRIGOR.

It is with feelings of sincere regret that we have to record- the rlrath of Mr Alexander. Grigor, wiiu.., look place at bis residence, Toiro, i,. „ - clock i on Sunday morning at the ugu 7b years, For about a year past Mr Grigor was not in robust health, and for the past eight months was practically conlined to ins room, and the end was not unexpected, being rather a relief from bodily weakness and suffering. Tbere were few men held in more genuine respect by all who knew him, and certainly no man more deserved the esteem and conlidence of his fellow-men than Mr Grigor did, Mr Grigor idled an important place in the early history of the Clutha district, being in fact the first schoolmaster to be settled here. The three lirst schoolmasters .who cam© to the province of Otago were Mr Alexander Ay son, Mr John Hislop, and Mr Colin Allan, and they fancied at Otago heads on the 2nd of October .1856. iur Ayson. was 'appointed to Tokomairiro, Mr Hislop to the Ta'eri, and Mr Allan to Port Chalmers. This does not include Mr Alexander Livingstone and Miss Dodds, who "were, appointed to tho JDunediu High School. Between j 185G and 18G1 commissions were sent home ior live more teachors, and these were Mr Alex. G. Allan (N.E. Valley), Mr Alexander Grigor (Inch Chitha), Mr Robert Gardiner (West Taieri:) and Air Adam Johnston (Halfway Bush) and Mr Andrew Kussell (Anderson's Bay). Mr Grigor was born at Cromarty in IS3I, and after receiving the sound scholastic training common to the teaching profession in Scotland «n those days, he, at the age of 27 yeal's, along with .his brother .Robert, who has been a respected resident of Balclutha' for many years, set off for new sphere oi labour in a land in the ship "Three Bells" in the year 18'5y, landing in July of that year. At the time oi his death he had, therefore, been just 50 years in .New Zealand. On his appointment as teacher at Inch Clutha, he came out there very shortly after his arrival. His lirst teaching place was a 'jit of a hut down on the banks of tine river on the Island, stili remembered by many ot his old pupilß. in the course of a short time, however, a new school and residence was provided, and it stiil stands—the one remaining relict, probably, of the early days of education in tins district. The liouse is now occupied by Mr Henderson, and stands on the left-hand side of th« road down near the Myres property. Latterly a new school was built, but it was demolished by the liood of and the new school ior the i:iatriut was built on the hill. This was, however, subsequent to Mr Grigor s time. He taught at Inch Clutha till the year ib/J, when he was appointed to the headmastersh'p oi tne Balciu;tha school, a position which he held witti credit to himself and ail concerned tin the year IbBB, when the advancing years and increasing responsibility in the management oi a large school rendered it necessary for him to seek a change. Accordingly in the year 1888, when a new school was estaoiished ai Alatau (lower inch Clutha) he received an unanimous roquest irom the residents oi the locality, who were principally his pupils in early days oi icacnin<L>' on tne Island, to come down and taito charge of the new school, it was a worthy tribute to a worthy man, and carried with it not a little honour. We .well remember tho satisfaction expressed by his old piunts wnen their teacher whom they knew so well came back amongst them to settle and j carry on the education of their ciniuron. He taught in the school at Matan up till about seven years ago, when ho retirod to a farm which he had acquired at Toiro, lor a well earned rest. At the time of his retirement he was the oldest teacher in the service of the Education Department in Otago, having been in hiarness 'or a period of about 42 years. >lt is a l' -ng record of useful work. Mr Grigor v. us a consciencious, upright man, actuated by the highest motives, and not a breath of suspicion was ever, raised against his honesty and singleness oi aim. He was a most kindly man, and took a warm interest in the welfare oi his pupils both in the school and out of it,, and his influence was a power \vhich cannot be estimated, but it has undoubtedly left its impress in the district. Mr Grigor was naturally a retiring man, but he always took a keen concern in the welfare of the district in whioh he lived, and his wise counsel and advice was always prized by tnose j with whom he came into contact. In j church matters he took a special in- j terest, and for many years he was an active elder of the Presbyterian Church. He was liberal-minded and charitable in all ehings, and was over slow, to believe the worst of his 1 fellow-man. His death severs a link that bound | closely the past with the present in this district, and the news of his death will call back to the minds of many recollections of half a century ago. Mr Grigor was also an enthusiastic volunteer and an Oddfellow, being for many years one of the Dalton Lodge auditors. In the year 1866 he married a daughter of the late Robert Renton, who was a settler at Waitapeka at that time, and afterwards at the Taieri. She died about 12 years ago. He is survived by a family of three sonsi and three daughters. Of the sons, John is on the farm at Toiro, Robert is a solicitor in Balclutha, and Alexander is in the National Bank at Auckland. The eldest daughter, Mary, is at home, and was his constant attendant and companion during his declining yearsanother is Mrs Chas. Wilson, Dunedin, and the third is teaching at Ngapara, recently appointed to a position in the Tapanui High School.