Cargill bicentenary

Press, 1 April 1982, Page 7

Cargill bicentenary

Descendants of the man who is commonly known as the founder of Otago, Captain William Cargill (above), will gather in Dunedin in February, 1984, to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth. Captain Cargill’s wife, Mary Ann, bore 17 children, and the task of tracing his many descendantts has already started. News of the bicentenary has attracted attention overseas, and descendants from Australia, Canada and the United States have said that they will come. Captain Cargill was born in Edinburgh in 1784, a descendant of the Scottish Covenanter, Donald Cargill, who was beheaded in 1681.

He joined the Army at the age of 18, and served for four years in India and for four years in the Peninsular War, during which he was gravely wounded.

Having resigned his commission in 1841 and become a

successful banker. Captain Cargill devoted himself io the formation of a Free Church of Scotland colony in New Zealand.

When eventually the pioneers sailed in the John Wickliffe, Captain Cargill, their leader, was already 64. He proved to be an excellent leader in the new land, and is credited with the title of “Founder of Otago.” “I almost believe,” said Sir George Grey, “that a more wise and sagacious man than Captain Cargill never existed.”

Captain Cargill became Superintendent of Otago and a member of Parliament before his death in 1860, at the age of 76. Any of his descendants who would like to attend the celebrations for the bicentenary of his birth should write to Mrs Judy Williams, 18 Marsden Avenue, Karori, Wellington 5.