OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR. H. D. CRAWFORD. Mr. Henry D. Crawford, a- brother of Messrs. A. and C. Crawford, and a member of tho well-known family who have been j associated with Miramar lands as far back as tho time of the first •settlement of Wellington by Wakefield's pioneers, died at his . residence in Abel Smith Street at an early hour yesterday morning. Tho deceased' had been in indifferent health for over a year, being a sufferer from' gout, and a feiv mouths ago underwent an operation for ail internal complaint. Mr. Crawford, who was 49 years of_ ago, was the oldest son of the late Captain J. Coutts Crawford, R.N., who acquired tho whole of the Miramar Peninsula in the very early days, and resided thero for some years prior to his death. Deceased was educated at the Wellington College and Christ's College, after whicli ho went Homo and joined the militia, with tho object of pursuing a military career, but not finding the life to his liking ho returned to Wellington, and went in for farming, acting as manager of his father's estate for some years prior to tho. latter's death. On the death of .Captain Crawford, tho Miramar Estate was'divided between Messrs. 11. D., A., and C. Crawford, the deceased securing that portion, known in the old days as " Tne Sands " (tho isthmus between Lyell and Evans Bays, on which Kilbirnio South and Maranui are situated,. and other lands on the Kilbirnie side,.'which witlf tho progress of the city have become very valuable. In 1887 deceased married Miss I'oarce, daughter of Colonel Edward Pearce ; (now of England, but for many years citizen of Wellington), by which marriage thero were two children'—a daughter, who died suddenly last year, when a student at AVycombe Abbey l School, England, and a son,.now at school in England. , Mr. Crawford was a member of tho old Seatou.il Itoad Board, and subsequently became a member and Mayor of the defunct' Melrose Borough, since absorbed by tho city. ■ He was a good judge of stock, and was one'of the founders and Master of the Wellington Hunt Club. Mr. Crawford's publics: spirit was evidenced recently when' he presented to the city a twq-chain road. above high-water mark in Lyell Bay (from Maranui to the city boundary) and eight acres of laud near the centre of tho.Bay, in return for an extension- of the electric tramway system from. South Kilbirnie Lyell Bay by way of a road Mr. Crawford has just had iconstructcd. -Ho-also presented a site for a school near South' Kilbirnie to. tho Wellington Education Board. • •

Feeling reference to tho death of Mr. Crawford was made at the meeting of tho City Council last evening. The Mayor -(the Hon. T. W. Hislop) referred to tho late Mr. Crawford as a citizen who was at one time a member of the City Council, and also a member of the Melroso Borough Council, and with whom tho council had had transactions of a very important nature, in which he had shown a generous spirit,, such as was, perhaps, somewhat rare. He had laid the city under a deep obligation to him for all time in granting it a very valuable concession—a- concession which was valuable to tho whole provincial district inasmuch as it affected the harbour —in giving up to tho city his .foreshore rights along tho head of Evans Bay. He had also _ granted to tho city an area of- seven or eight acres for reclamation purposes,- and a stretch of land, nearly a mile long' and three chains wide, at Lyell Bay. He wished that at tho moment ho could more efficiently express the city's _ obligation to Mr. Crawford, and its appreciation of tho generosity with which he had. treated the council at all times- when he had como into connection with it. He moved:— "That the council place on record its deep regret at the decease of Mr. H. D. Crawford, who served faithfully as a councillor of the Borough of Melrose aud for. a time of the- city.,' and who has throughout his life exhibited great public spirit, and in. his relations with the city always showed a generous and liboral disposition; that the Town Clerk furnish to his widow and relations a i copy of this .resolution, and express . tho sympathy of "the council- with''-'lfiem'' in . 'their bereavement-."

Councillor Luke, in seconding the motion, referred to. Mr. Crawford's,, very- generous., disposition. The deceased gentleman had done a, considerable amount.to bring about that worthy scheme, the amalgamation of Melroso with the city of Wellington. Councillor Cohen also spoke briefly to the motion, which was carried by the "members, standing, and- in silence. Tho funeral, will leave Mr. prawford's late residence in Abel Smith Street for the KarorP Cemetery at 10 a.m. to-morrow.

MR. CHARLES WALKDEN. (BY "TELEGttArH—PI'ESS ASSOCIATION.) Christcliurch,'August 27. News lias teen received locally of the death on July 20 last, at Capetown, of Mr. Charles Walkden, who for twenty years was City Engineer of this city. Mr. Walkden was a native of London, and for a time was in the Lord Chancellor's office, but reliquished his position in order to become an engineer. He was in Denmark during the,war between the Danes and the Prussians over the Duchies of ' Schleswig and Holstein, and lie took part in an exciting incident. The Danish troops were getting badly beaten, and there was necessity. for a masterly retreat to bo effected. The line which Mr. Walkden was constructing had not been ballasted, but taking charge' of tho trains himself Mr." Walkden convoyed the troops over the line. It took'the Prus-' sians threo weeks to cover the distance that their enemies had been conveyed by. train. In the meantiihe tho Danes had, got clear away across an arm of the sea. Mr. Walkden had got the .engine-drivers to remove tho driving wheels from the engines, and to put them somewhere that he did not know. When the Prussians arrived they-wanted the driving wheels, but Mr. Walkden told them he did not know where they were. They threatened him, but lie defied them, and they wero no more successful when they; Attempted to bargain for the wheels. " The upshot was that owing to Mr. Walkden's obstinacy tho Prussians had to wait nine months till engines were brought from Prussia, and tho line could be operated. Mr. Walkden came out to New Zealand under engagement to Brogdens, the railway construction contractors, but lost his position when his employers' contract with the New Zealand Government fell through. He was appointed City Engineer, succeeding Mr. Corny Cuff. During the time, he held tho position, Mr. Walkden built many of the bridges over tho Avon, including the two Armagh Street bridges and the Worcester. Street, Gloucester Street, Montreal Street,' and Casliel Street bridges. Mr. Walkden was 84 years of ago when lie died. The only \ member-, of the late Mr. Walkden's family now resident in New Zealand is a married daughter, who lives iu this city. _■