OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10262, 3 February 1899, Page 6

OBITUARY.

The diminishing ranks of the early settlers in Canterbury were still further thinned by the death of Mrs George Duncan, which took place at her residence, Opawa, on Sunday . morning last. Mrs Duncan, who was the last surviving member of her father's family, lived to a ripe old age, having been born at Horaleigh Farm, Perthshire, in 1824. This farm was adjacent to Woodhead, her husband's early home. Arriving in this colony by the ship Isabella Hercus in March, 1861, and settling in 1855 on their farm at Earn Valley, Hiilsborough, Mr and Mr&J)uncan bore a full share of the toils and struggles inseparable from pioneer life. Mr Duncan died some five years ago. Recently, with some members of her family, Mrs Duncan had been residing at Opawa. In tba early days,- of the province Lyttelton was, the natural market for many of the products from the. Earn Valley homestead, and Mrs Duncan made frequent journeys thitker over the Bridiepath. At,that time;& trip to Port involved an amount of exerijiprf whicH later colonists do not care to undertake, and she was not always free from apprehensions as to whom she might meet on these journeys.' *Atther home she was occasionally visited, inc| at times startled, by some interesting stranger from Port, whose enforced stay jthere had been broken (fora; time at least) without any formal leave-taking. One of these visitors, whose Highland name is borne by a Highland district in South Canterbury, came to her door hatless and shoeless, but was followed up so closely that he started afresh without any additions to his outfit. Indeed, it was only after being crippled by a bullet that he again fell into the hands of those officials who represent law' and order Archdeacon Wilson, Dr. and Mrs Willis Mrs Asihby, and Mr Roberts, of Lyttelton,' were fellow-passengers to the colony with Mr and Mrs Duncan. Of those mentioned Mr* Willis and Mr Roberto still survive! During the. later years of her stay at Earri -Vmlley, Mrs Duncan established a Sunday school at her residence for the benefit of a few families in the vicinity, who lived at an inconvenient distance from any place of worship. In this undertaking she was warmly supported and encouraged by the late Rev. Hugh. Irwin; and, after her removal to Opawa, her Sunday school work waa continued at Mr Irwin's church, St. Peter's, Ferry road. A somewhat protracted illness had of late confined the deceased lady to her own house, but the large and widely representative gathering at her funeral on Tuesday 'afforded full evidence of the sympathy extended to her family, as well as the respect and esteem in which she was held by those who had known her long and intimately.