OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 142, 10 March 1908, Page 4

OBITUARY.

MR. CHARLES WILLIAM BENBOW , - ■ . ... • ' .)

A CHAMPION OF TFIE CIIKSS' BOARD

The death occurred at 8' o'clock yesterday morning of Mr. Charles William Benbow,.; lato'. manager . the Wellington, branch .of , .the South ' British Insuranco Company,' . and a : wellknown figure for many years in the commer* cial, social, and sporting communities of this city. He had only been laid '/up '• for a . few days,, but it was known io'on after lie took to his bod that there was littlo chance of his recovery, 'and his soil, Mr. Charles Benbow, had,' been- summoned. Ito Wellington some days ago., Tlie deceased gentleman was .the son of Mr. Geo. Benbow, and was ■ born' in Birmingham, England,' on',February'l3, 1842. He was:. educated,' at one oftlie church schools, and, at the, parly ago, of'.twelve years entered , the office of a . Birmingham firm; where he remained for nine years.>■: Being then of age and his own master,' he left/England in 1875 for New-Zealand in the' ship Border Chief,., and on. his .'arrival in\ Wellington ■ was given a berth with Messrs;' Lev,in and Co;, superintending the insurance department, ' attending to correspondence,' etc.' lii 1901' Mr. Benbow severed-, his long/ connection ' with Levin and Co., to accept the management' in Wellington, .of tho South British „ Insurance Company, which position he held up till his retirement a couple of years'ago. He was tho fortunate possessor of an equable and .genial disposition, which, made hint friends wherever lie. went, and being'a'close student of many, things (he had, an exceptionally fine library) bis l opinion' as.'an; authority was frequently sought. after. iAi 'quarter';.of- a ; cen : tury ago bo'was prominent in qricket . circles, and. was at one,, time , president of the Phoenix Club/and a';yico-pr'esideiit " of the Wellington Cricket 1 Association: >' A' capable performer .oil the'cricket field; he;, die} riot neglect the more scientific of indoor' games, • for when.(juite 'a,young man he.developed into .a brilliant chess-player,■ which.. accounted: for bis, being afterwards' president of;tho ..Wei-, lington Chess',Ciub . for,'nearly' tw.eiity.'year's: The. " Dubuque,' Chess Journal ", for : May; 1874,. sajrs •.attention" was first' called'to fihcss '.by .seeing: a problem'in' .the'.,' Illustrated London News.'', during the fall of 1858..:;Being,determined to know what, it' meant, lie made enquiries about tj(e;game/' arid was.; informed; that,' [theni' . was {a . very good'book.ior beginners'called ' ' Chess, Made Easy,';', odite'd'.by." George '\ValkeK ' ''Hanng immediately., procured!>thisVbook ,' : . lie,. colli-' mericed'. its. study., witH. pleasure,arid' pj-ofit, 1 .dwelling,, with' : much ' delight ~on , the .four games' between La Bpurdpiinais and M'Doiinell, . especially with tthe,-/annotations'-'given to.evory Imqye. .In. May; 1859,>occurred, bis first, gamp;by, correspondence." . : The /game is, given,.; and. shows .that :,Mr. Benbow's opponent, Mr. J. W. AVitty,:resigned after his twenty-fifth move. . From this to, the end of •ISG3, i quoting from the same- source; '''.ho ,'.continued, the practice of the game,, though only ,iii. a'., small degree, ,but then, from !,tbo pressuro of business.and other,engagements, lio.was.compelled to give it :up, and with the exception,. of : two 'correspondence '' gaiues in 1865,- he.'did nothing:until- Apri1,.1867,' .when ho says:—' I felt, an irresistible, longing: ~to enter 'tho' arena• again.' and 1 try my,, powers' against .any;.athletes; -that might come my wny, I did. so with more ardour, than every .and trust, that-I.shall not withdraw .from the mimic, battlefield till the last move/of all-is made.' In. the year. 1869. ho. carried, off the honours.: in .a, tourney by. correspondence •in .connection• ■.witli, the .;Young : Men i: of; ..Great; Britain." Several of ..these gatnes are;-given . ■ with , notes by ..Lowenthal,-. all more ; ot, Jess' complimentary •of Mr. Benbow's, play.. ;; In, 1871. the Birmingham Club,, of. which at. that timo .Mr..:Benbpw;.was Va..member",,;was>honoured by- a visit ..from: the,celebrated'Freneb player,. j\l.. Ilosonthal, , who . conducted,, four; games -.-.simultaneously,. winning' threeV and.losing •„ ,one,.-. .bbing::,/lost.<."„ito' 51r., • Benbowv :- - !Tbis : :-,.game,. : ;;is ■ given n iri :thp : .,,,;chessr.: ! ;]'ournal-. ■ referred■ /toiti above, ,arid -.the . gamo -Jis.': creditM" vtov- Mr:, JBen r bow. at /• tho, ."thirty-sixth ' move.. In v-,No-. . vernber „of ;tlio same': year, '.Birmingham;.-.was' visited, by; another;,star of•;tlio first•■ magni r ; tudq—viz.,, Mr. : ; Blackburne.-; .On tho open-: ing day - he oarried". on .' simultaneously twenty , games, out ,of which number ho. woii -,nmeteen, 'losirig one. to friend, Benbow.-: .'.On- tlie second; day. he:went ! tbrougli i tbo^marvellous ! performance .of; .playing ten 'gamesblind-, folded:; ; . .BenbpVv,'„on,tliis occasion'/ fell; a' victim ,to his>prowess,'though'it v.seems : as. though he ought to. have made a better ending with liim. ■ Up to the nineteenth moye' of, this game bo played vwith 'great.'judgment/".' After.igiving .a'-numberirof', games •-all' brilliantly.'. won by Mr.">- Benbow,' 1 Itlio article closes with £omo ; three ;or:'foiir<pages" of bis' problems;; the!editor'• 'remarking; that—".Bo-i sides i:his ;great;, talent- .for l chess.'play : over, the .board, Mr.'. Benbow- 'lias a remarkablo talent for .chess. iproblcnis:>">: •Frorii 'time of - his arrival-in Wellington'' in>;.'lß7sj';' ho . .was, 'perhapsj'' 1 the prominent, figurb .in New, Zealand ohtes;-'' '

• Mr.vßenbow al3o -a prominent Wes-leyan,and;was-;a -trustee of the'- Wellington' Circuit Education' 'Trust;-- and ' in' its; 'earlier, years he\took- a- lively • interest in'leyan -Litorary -.-arid 1 Debating -Society, and. was -not- averse to, giving' interesting, iectures on groat writers and- thinkers oil' occasions. Mr. Benbow was one of the "greybeards'-'"' of : tlio Southern Cross-Lodge,- 1.0.0.Fi (American Constitution) j and -was 'the oldest-trustee' of the-lodge at the time -Of his death.'.'■■Ho liadrat qneitirno/or other*occupied'all tho; ■offices; ■ and v • was ' for -. many - wears District; Deputy Grand Master, an office which -lie relinquished ' about,' six or - seven ; years ago.' On account of his 'ago, and the fact tlnvt lie' had .been; a' member-of;-tho : for over 25 'years, f his • subscription had'dropped -to ; as low'as Is: 7d'. pier quarter, while at the samo time -' he' has been ■ receiving - a 1 sum of "£1 ;ls; 'Bd. per quarter during the j)ast'ye&r out. of the Old Members' DuesrFiiind—si fund' which does iii' not in anyway dispense charity,' but acts- automatically' on'; certain' rules' regarding longth' of membership and ago. This; fund is-peculiar to-the Southern Cross Lodge,' 'whose; returns .are' . as-' favourably) unique" as was Mr.' Benbow's position as a' member, v '■ ; i'

Mr. -Benbow,'" whose wife pro-deceased him 1 two. .years- ago;' loaves a -family 'of • fivo daughters l and ono '• son —Mrs. V. Mcnelaus, Melbourne; .Mrs. F. W. Prmcn, Island Bar; three unmarried daughters resident in Wellington, and Mr. 'Charles A: Benbow, manager at Now' Plymouth tor tlio A. M: P. Society, ' ' ' i Tho funeral' will leavo Ins late residence, 74 : Tasman, Street, for tho. Karori Cemotcry,' at 9.30 a.m. : to-morrow."':. • ■ . ; ■ * ' SUDDKN DEATH, (BT .lELEGBAPH'—MESS 'ASSOCIATION ') ' ' ;'" . Auckland,' March *10-i' : Mrs.' Oyles; about sixty years'of ago, ; foil iii Qltien Street this afternoon,'and almost immediately. - ]