OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18671, 21 April 1926, Page 13

OBITUARY.

MR AMBROSE JOHNSTONE. Tho death occurred yesterday of another of the pioneers of Canterbury, Mr Ambroso Johnstone, "Kilbirnie," Jieckford road, St. Martins. Mr Johnstone, -who was born in Christchurch >'n 1851, was a son of Air Juntos Johnstone. who, with a number of men landed in Lyttelton from Tasmania in January, 1&50, to erect the Immigration barracks, and who afterwards carried on business as a builder in street. Mr Johnstone after doing some farm work was engaged by Mr John Anderson, the founder of Andersons, Ltd., and rose to the position of foreman blacksmith and was afterwards foreman of the firm's works in Lytteltou. Leaving his trade, ho took up fruit-growing and bee culture on the tanks of tho lleathcote, near the Beckford road bridge, and continued as orehardist and apiarist until his death. Tho deceased belonged to the Masonic fraternity, and the Oddfellows, M.U., and was president of tho Beekeepers' aud Fruit Growers' Association. He was also an ardent fancier, especially of game fowls, one of the pioneer exhibitors of the Christchurch Poultry Club, and a founder 01 the old Sydenham Poultry Society, and an officer of the Old English Gaoic Club of New Zealand. His services as judge were, at one time in much de--111 and, and 110 judged whole shows in different parts of Now Zealand. Mr Johnstone was married to a daughter of the late Mr Georgo Bury Johnson, who survives liim together with eight daughters, namely Mesdumes E. Banifield (Rangiora), Bascand (Sumner), H. 0. Smith (Cashmere Hills), D. Beattie (Wellington). Albort Barnes (Cashmere), and the Misses Rose, Ethel, and Marjorio Johnstone, and five sons, Messrs Alick Archie, Herbert, Rudwin, and Gordon Johnstone.