OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17272, 10 October 1921, Page 9

OBITUARY.

• -Mil ALBERT CKEsSWELL. (SPECIAL TO "TTTE TKESS.' 1 ) NELSON, October 9. The death occurred at an early hour this niorningj after a brief illness, of 4 well-known and widely-esteemed citilon iu the person of Mr Albert Cresswell. The late Mr Cresswell, who was . an officer of the Postal Department for over 41 years, retired in 1905, while chief clerk at Timaru, and, after ten rears' residence in Christchurch, came to live in Nelson. Ho was born at j&dgeley, in Staffordshire, in 1845, and came out to New Zealand in the ship Queen of the North, arriving in Auckland in 1862. After two months' stcy in that city ho left for Napier on a visit to Coionel Russell. In 1863 he 'joined' the Postal Department. _ During • thia year' the second Maori war broke out, in consequence of which, all malt adults had to be sworn in in the Volunteers or Militia. Tho late Mr Cresswell served under the former from 1863 to 18G9. He was on active service on threo occasions, viz., Omuranui, lloluika. and Poverty Bay massacres. At the Omaranui fight 37 Maoris were killed,, about 40 wounded, aud 90 taken prisouers. Napier at that time had to to guarded every night by pickets from the Volunteers, and' Militia. There were exciting timeß in .those, days, owing to the Haulmus. Mr Cresswell, with his company, marched the first lot of Maori prisoners to tho Spit, put- .' tin" them on tho Government steamer St.°Kilda, which took 200 or mom to the Chatham Islands. Amongst them . was the Nativo Chief Te Kooti. In '1869 Mr Cresswell was ordered to Grevmoutli. to talc© up the duties or chief clerk in that, offiqe. He was, in those days, a keen athlete, taking j great interest in cricket aoid football, nnd was chosen to play for the \Vest Coast in the cricket match against tno English team, under Shaw. He was netinc-chief postmaster at Grcymouth in 1875. at Hokitika in 1876, and at Westporfc in 1877, and postmaster at Reefton in 1878. He was then transferred to Nelson,., and. acted aa cmer clerk her©- for fourteen, years. uncter the late Mr R. Kirtdn. Mr Cresswell was appointed chief postmaster nt Hokitika, from -which, place.he transferred in 1897 to Timaru. Prior to leaving Hokitika he. was presented by the citizens with d purse of sovereigns. and, on his retirement from the servioe at Timaru, was tb& recipient of presentations from the office staff, .deceased was ft'prominent • Freemason, having held the highest offices in Lodge Victory and the Trafalgar Eoyal Arch Chanter. He was, also .a Past Grand of the Oddfellows'" Order.' Dunng his residence in Nelson Rfc tools & keen intorest in av number of : matters. He was president of the- Nelson Chess _Club, ■ and a prominent member Nelson Bowling (Club-. He was also an entwsiaStic gardener, and when tie Nelson Beautifying Society ceas&T operations, he Wolf charge of the-garden between Nil® street and the Brook .street stream, which -was the admiration, of all passerS-by. The news of his death > will tie- received .with deep regret ,t>y a - wide* ci#e of friends. Sir Cresswell, who was a widower,, is survivedby one wtn, ? Mr B. S. Cresswell. of-Nelson; rmV two daughters—Meedames A. H. Viewer, of "Ashburton, and Irani: Suiallbone. of Port Nelson..

The death occnred ,on Saturday of ■V Mr William J. Harper, a well-known, resident of Wellington, ■ Mr Harper jtm born in Wellington, fifty-five years nco, and for nearly forty years had ■ been. in the employ of -R. Hannah and 60 He was a prominent member ot ,the Wellington South' Chess Club. 'Archdeaoon. Baker, formerly of the '■ Waimeaa, Nelsoti, died at Lower H.ut& ••last weet. He. was trained at the V-Qhurch -Missionary Society College, Is- * Jfmgton. and ordained .by/the Ara'bisaop of Canterbury in 1872. He then 'proceeded, to India binder the Churofr Missionary Society,' but owrng 'to'the climate had to return. 1882, and' for two or three years be .was, a olergHncttL in Dorsetshire. Ia lßoi n* came/to (New Zealand on tb©.myitation of 1 Bishop Suter. and minlsteredat • Wakefield,, Richmond, and Bnghtwater fn 1893 he succeeded Bishopries at •; Bright-wateri and; was appointed Arch- . deacon of the' Waimeas' in 1908. He retired at the end of-1914. Headents ' of Nelson tod tjie Waimeae will ro member well liia fine personal Cnart" acteristica and his genial, willing, »na happy nature (sayßtne Nelson ' Mail ). s-"' *<)ne son, Donald, ot & \Bendigo, and the ' other.';. Harold j is v-fVicar ■of one* of the leading * • churches in Sydney. The / - William, ia. in the service; of the Eas«s?,v era Extension Cable Company." :> . - Mr Herbert Markham "Wright, in- - rspector for the Colonial Mutual .tasur- ~ 1 anc© Company, who /wasi killed m a -motor-cycle accident, at tower Hut-fc if last week, was well known in-Auckland | S - athletic ' circles; .■ For a time he was .secretary to the Auckland Swimming "j Centre, and later occupied •> similav 2* position to the Waikato Swimming I. Centre. Mr Wright was a prominent J,. thember of the North Shore, Bowing s-i and for a time was secretary. Mr Harry John Cohen, chief metropolitan inspector for the National Mutual Jiife Association of Australasia, C limited. died at Sydney a fow days ©i' ago. Mr Cohen was associated with fe JiTe assurance for about 40, years, first as accountant and acting-secretary for the Mutual Assurance Bociety of viotoria, and for the last 30 years in the capacity of chief metropolitan. mspector for the National Mutual Life.