OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 87, 6 January 1908, Page 9

OBITUARY.

Wa regret to loarn of tho death of Mr, Hector Francis , Davidson, of Pahiatua, a farmer who has had tho reputation of being 1 the ; only' breeder, of pure Cotswold. sheep 5 during thp last 12 pr 15 yoars in Now Zealand. ,;Ho diod from heart diseaso on Deoombar: 27, and was buried in 'the Pahiatua cometsry on December 29. An old friend describes iiim as '-'a man of sterling worthj es- " teemed by-all; and woll known by thoso'in- ■ torostcd in stock from"' Wanganui / to Wellington for 35 years past." Ho started as a cadct on tho Hon, Robert Campbell's station-at' Oroua Downs,' near Foxton, ,aiid was ; afterwards identified", with Mr,i.Gear's 91'iginal slaughterhouse in AVollingtpn as a, supplier, ..and'v/ith Messrs,: Oliver-Bros.' run, at Okaua (now Messrs. Strang's). Ho was afterwards a freeholder of "To Wairanga,' - near, Ijeviri, and. finally settled ■ pn ' 'Ruarata," near Pahiatua. His death, fpllowing on tho loss of a , spp by a bicycle accident at, Wanganui College ■ : two months ago, makes a very severe bloiV. to the;! widow... and ; family, .with -wham great sympathy is expressed. Deqeasod at pno timo commanded; thp Hprowhonua Mounted Rifles, His Cotswold sheep wero bred from animals imported 15 years ago by his brothor-in-law, Mr. Robert Cobb (of Romney Marsh fame), ' But ho. became tired of winning , all tho'.show prizes withqut competition, and sold out. The, funeral .pror cession was a quarter of a milp Ibrjg. Deceasod wa3 'carried to tho grave by .tho fol-. lowing .-T-Messrs. Charles Loughnan.. (solicitor), qf Palijierston North; Godfrey Bgldwji) (farnier), lata of Loviri; Haro Miller (Town , '.Clerk); Liijoy (solieitcr), and _' G. Hawley' Drew' (brotheivinJaw), of Pahiatua; Lloyd (farmer),, Wajrarapa, , and llobort Cobb (shcop-brecdcr), Rangitikei.