OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16407, 30 December 1918, Page 8

OBITUARY.

MR R. SKILLING.

Mr Robert Skilling, who died on Friday, at the residence of his son- '• in-Jaw, Mr James Skervington, Waikuku, aged 84 years, was born in County Down, Ireland, and came to Canterbury in the ship Matoka in the year 1860. After working for a short time on Bangor Station, he found em- •_ ployment with Captain Tosswill for two years on his farm at Lower Riccarton. Fifty-two years ago he acs quired land at Sefton which he farm- - ed successfully until his retirement six - years ago. Mr Skilling took no part t in public affairs. His wife, who came . to New Zealand in the ship Chariot of Fame in 1863, predeceased him fivo J ears ago. _He leaves two sons, Mr-. Skilling, Rangiora," and Mr James Skilling Culverden, and a daughter, Mrs James Skevington. v : Mr Jonathan Burton, who had lived in New Zealand for 45 died at . Napier recently & his 77th year. Ho i was born in Reading, Berks, in 1841, and left England in the ship Douglas i in 1873. He carried on business iu Wellington as a master plasterer foi over 20 years. He leaves a widow, five sons, and two daughters. Sergeant W. R. Taylor, in-charge of the Parnell police station,- died last week. Sergeant who was 54 - J ears of age, had_ been in indifferent ealth for some time, and an attack of influenza ■ produced complications, making an operation necessary. . He entered the police force 21 years ago, and spent A number of years in the - Otago district, whence he was transferred to Wellington with the rank of sergeant, and eventually was stationed at Auckland. He leaves a widow, four daughters, arid one son. Another son, Private William Taylor, was killed in action early, this year. Another old resident of Wellington passed-away last week in the person of Mr James Meyrick, of 91 Hanson , street. Deceased arrived in Wellington in the ship Alma, in • 1857, ancf went with his parents to the Wairarapa. He took part in the Maori War in in the early sixties, and obtained a medal. H<j was also bngler of the first fire brigade (Central), in "Wellington, and remained a member of the Fire Police np till his death. 4 He loaves a widow, three sons, sni< two daughters. The South British Insurance Company has been advised from Singapore that i; Mr James Henry, the company's' mana- ■ ger there, has died of pneumonia. Mr Henry, who was 44 years of age, joined the staff of the South British in Auckland about 21 years ago. Some-years. ■ later he was appointed to the company's branch at Calcutta, and was. promoted thence to the managership at Singapore.