OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 128, 22 February 1908, Page 7

OBITUARY.

, im BURTON-BO\S . i •' (BY -WiEOKAPH—SPECIAK conniisroNDENr.; : i • ' - ,1 Masterton, Fobruary 21. . i '' .v-Thero died to-day in •' jkastorton,: in the i ■porson! 0f,.: Mr. '.Burtoii-BoyS| oiic ;of r Jhb;.mosDi| kindly-natured; and. ..chivalrous.,.\o.f ,pioneers i New. Zealaiid. , .Tho om i gentie'maii-^he 1 , t -wasr:inJ ; ■ the!; ■ .ai-■.'• anciont-!,Kentish' ;fam'ily,j of, which .he .was' justly proudj and»in, all | liis jfortyf years of political, and 'business: ' life, in r his . adopts' country,v hp appears to i .have set himself!.as.Jiis, .standard..tlio most i estimable virtucs.;of_his'ancestors,Vthe majo-1 rity of _whom wore; important,.,personages fori . some eight hundred years in the history of their country. ; '-i !! ;! ; Thero.has .been found in;the possession of 'dweaged. a tjUßint volumG, beariiig'diito 1559;!,ind being a-complete record of; Kentish.families; till that - date.; - The publicatirm' shows ! th'»t : 'Mr:'?Boys's , aiicestbr.'!w'as"'.'!Jbhn De Bois, '.fflib; ca-me over! to E'ngland with.!.'Williahi. the Conquere'r,,!'; The,. family :was -ono : of 'great ) importanM,.till.!tho;,!timo,.of deceased's grand--i father,UAdmiral, : .Boyes, iwlio fought? at-Tra-falgar. It was Mr. Boys's. boast that,his .family-.had supplied more 'sailors-to the Bn-..tish-Navy. than any othor in ; England. In: Now .Zoaland.'Mr.: Boys .was jwell known fix first--.scHoolf, 1; of politicians!"wHo. were thoii. etigaKed.on' the'. forming'! of. ~tho .eijibryo .nation.Ho','.'was ' intimately .associated -with',: ■Sir jGeorge Grey and., Major Harey:''Atlcinson.! Heihad a marvellous memory, and-.once as- ; tonished Major Atkinson by repeating by heart, from Haiisard''. tlie' Major! s own speeches bearing:,upon, some:question,.undsr discussion. In tho years when the old gontle®a®..^,a^!?:P'ower: in -Wairarapa politics; with' 5r r,! f? - Buchanan and tbe late Mr - II: i;:his,'.;elqqiieht,deliveries,'of' tho 'EngJ'?h; tongue,. brimful,.of. kben,,but. kindly,'satire,: frequ'oritly iaiscd his,'audiences to qntliusiaßm.'.,: ~ ;.. ~ .... - ;.'Shortly after'; his arrival ■,in.-New. Zealand .he was asked ■by tho Government 'to ipro-, to £ the; Wairarapa to•'organise the milltia' ' nr. view, of "'possible troubles'- : with the' Niitiv'es. Lieutenant; Boys .performed this. duty"with .the.; utmost ,dispatch.'. ! All the ' able:bodied, mon V.'cyQ armed and : drilled, .' blockhouses were constructed in the different towns,. 'and when, the Natives marched .through - die .'val-. ley to:,l'apawai, from the north,.-Lieutenant Boys had all his men marshalled. The trouble was, averted by-tho persuasions of lnondly Natives, and Lieutenant Boys v.'as made a captain. • . . . Irt -later "years' ho too): an• active intorest m local politics,' and in ovefytliin'g whicli was to tho'advancement' of the'district: -Mr. ' Boys leaves a family of three sons,' two of ■whom/ Jamos and' .Tolin;- re3ido :at Palmer■stori North, while Edward resides .at Taraimiki. - ■ The "iritorinentwill triko place onMonV day.