OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17890, 10 October 1923, Page 10

OBITUARY.

MR HORATIO NELSON. (SPECIAL TO "THE FBES3.") WELLINGTON, October 9,

The death is announced to-day of Mr Horatio D. Nelson, who was wellknown throughout New Zealand for many years as one of its leading tea merchants. He retired from business several years ago and was living at Seatoun. He was a Manchester man, and his grandfather and father were in the tea trade for many years. The late Mr Nelson came to New Zealand forty years ago, after having travelled in the Far East. In New Zealand his firm —Nelson, Moate and Co. —through good organisation and advertising, built up a large business, the headquarters of which were in Christchurch, with branches in other towns and also in India, Ceylon, and Tasmania. Previous to the advent of this firm, New Zealanders drank China tea, which used to come in in with Chinese characters and strange pictures of birds on them. Mr Nelson introduced Ceylon tea and boomed it by advertising till it became popular. Mr Nelson it was who initiated the system of sell-, ing packet tea. For many years he did the tea testing and blending for his. firm in Wellington. He was a keen sportsman and took a special interest in horse racing, boxing iind golf. He was himself as a young man a noted light-weight boxer. At one time ho kept polo ponies. Of late he had led a somewhat retired life. He will be missed by many of his old friends. Ho is survived by his wife and several sons and daughters—Mrs R. Robertson, Miss Violet Nelson, Messrs H. Nelson (Seatoun), D. Nelson (Auckland), Jack Nelson (Wellington), and Roy Nelson (Sydney). MR ANDHEW CUNNINGHAM. There passed away at Dunsandel on Saturday morning one of the early pioneers of Canterbury, Mr Andrew Cunningham. The late Mr Cunningham was born at Westburn, Perthshire, Scotland, in 1841. He arrived in New Zealand by the Royal Stewart in 1861. In 1803 he was married to Miss Margaret Dunlop, who predeceased him 38 years ago. He commenced farming at Halkett, and later moved to Dunsandel, where he had resided for 54 years. He helped to put the first shingle on the road at the Christchurch - Hospital corner and also helped to form many of, the roads around Dunsandel. He leaves a son, Mr Alex. Cunningham, of Dunsandel, and a daughter, Mrs A. Tons, of Southbridge, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A largo and representative gathering attended the funeral. The service was conducted at the Brookside Cemetery by the Rovs. T. G. Butler and J. Eeed.