104 YEARS OLD

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 6

104 YEARS OLD

DEATH OF MR.'HENRY BURLING. AN EVENTFUL CAREER. Tho death occurred on Sunday afternoon at the residence of Jlr. A. Hurling, of Waikanae's well-known centenarian, Jlr. Henry Burling (writes our Otaki correspondent). I'or the past few weeks he had not l>oon in good health, and a paralytic stroko almost deprived him of his power of spceeli, and this, with an attack of bronchitis, caused iis relatives great, concern. Medical advice was sought, but it was seen that tho end was approaching, but he boro his suffering with fortitude, and although at times ho was in great pain, he never complained. Gradually ho sank and passed away peacefully in the midst of a number of ilis relatives, lie was 101 yours ulu, and it is claimed, enjoyed the reputation of being the oldest man iu the Dominion. l'or the past six yearsjie has resided with his son (Mr. Arthur Burling) at Waikanae, but was for years a resident of Wairarapa. lie was born in Stratford (England), and in 1810 leit with his wife and family for New Zealand, ultimately arriving in Wellington, whero ho farmed till iudueed to join Mr. Fitzgerald's survey party. Through his instrumentality tho party cut the first road through to tho Wairarapa, and afterwards iMr. Burling settled in i'eatherstou, where his wife died over 40 years ago. Ho has always enjoyed good health and showed great vitality. Many years ago he was working at a sawmill, when he was struck across tho head with a heavy chain which rendered him blind for somo four months but' his sight was graduallv regained. Tho deceased was always cheerful, full 'of jokes, and was a good hand at relating interesting experiences. lie has often related with great interest his arrival in New Zealand, early settlement, and the doings of the Natives (headed by Te Rauparalia and Te Rangihaet'a) during the times of trouble. Of seven children, only three (Arthur, Henry, and Mrs. Gooding, the first-named of WaikanaC, and the last-named two of Wairarapa) remain. The funeral will take place at Otaki to-morrow.

Deceased's Ace,

Nearly every metropolitan papor in New Zealand has at one time or other made extended references to tho life of Mr. Burling, and that gentleman's extraordinary longevity. In most of tho articles tho centenarian has been referred to as being anything up to 110 years of age. The matter, however, appears to have been finally settled last, year as the result of close investigations made in tho old parish of Stratford, Essex (in which tho Burling family lived), by Mr. Guy 11. Scholofiold, a former Wellington pressman, now in London.

11l reference to the subject of Mr. Burling's age, Mr. Scholcfield wrote in November, 1010:—"The old parish of Stratford, t in which tho Burling family lived, has long since been absorbed in the fcoming: expansion of London eastward through the plains of Essex, but tho old church of Wostham —the name is really one word in this ease —stands as a hoary memorial of the time when some miles of deserted heath and highway lay between Stratford and the City of London. Westham. Church is one of the fine old relics of tho middle ages, which are to be found even in London, in such edifices as St. Bartholomew the Great, All Hallows, Barking, St. Saviour's, Southward and so forth. Tho amount of it that is fourteenth century is quite unusual, and there are still somo. wonderful tombs-.of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth, including a perfectly preserved one of Alderman Foote, an early Lord Mayor of London. A. stilly more interesting relic is the stone relic, which was apparently at tho door of the. deadhouse of the early Abbey of Westham, and which was discovered during the excavations for the present-day gasworks. But what wo are specially interested in is the parish register of births, which dates back to tho middle of - tho seventeenth century. It is here that wo find tho best evidence of the age of Mr. Burling, for it was here that he was baptised more than a century ego. A diligent search, taking the date Jlav 1, 1801, as a point, ltd up to 1807, in which year we find tho entry which apparently decides the question. Oil October 23 of that year was baptised "Henry, son of Jamos and Joanna Piko Burling," and the date of Henry's birth is slated as October 25, 1807. This seems to definitely fix the age of tho venerable centenarian as 103 years on October 25 of this year. He would, therefore, be eight years of ago when the troops returned from Waterloo, so it is not impossible that he still retains somo vague recollection of that time. I have obtained a copy of the entry, certified by the present vicar of West Ham, the Rev. Canon Polly." It is amazing to think that only eighteen months ago, when 102 years of age, Mr. Burling opened the Rugby football season at Otaki by kicking-off—no mean feat for a man, who as a youngster was sent to bed at night by his parents' injunction that if he did not obey "Boney" would catch him. Pioneering Days, The lato Mr. Burling arrived in Wellington bv the ship London in IS-10 (Brett's Historical Series gives tho year of Ills arrival, as 1843), and took up an acre of land at Wadestown. He did not remain there long, moving eventually to the Lower Hutt. He carried tho mails during the. very early days, his round, instead of being over the present day paved streets, being' along the seashore and through thick bush. Subsequently ho drew the chain for the road from Wellington to this Wairarapa.

When engaged running tho mails; mostly Government dispatchcs, Mr. Burling frequently encountered tho then moro or 'less uncivilised Maoris during his lonely pilgrimages through the bush, but they never injured him even when they, were most embittered against the white's. In after years Mr. Burling was a teamster in a large way, with bullocks mostly to draw his wagons. Deceased was a great friend of the Maoris, and had an excuse to offer for most of the historic outrages committed by (he Natives in the Wellington province. _ He knew the chief Kangihaeata intimately, and was on one occasion a valuable agent of the Government in carrying on negotiations with him. - Mr. Burling used to recount tho following story of a tour through the bush country at a time when the Maoris and whites were at loggerheads:—"He made his way in safety a considerable distanco inland to where his dusky friend Rangihaeata was camped, in order to deliver to tho chief an ultimatum from the Government. 'Rangi' referred the white man on to Otaki, and presented him with a kit of peculiar design, which the chief said would keep him from - harm if he showed it to any Maoris who might stop him. Mr. Burling had not gone many miles before he was bailed up by some hostile Maoris. They nromptly plundered his swag, and signalled to an old wahine who was sitting close by to come and share the tobacco. She came as bidden, and, scowling fiercely at the white man, contemptuously kicked a parcel of clothing lie had dropped, revealing the kit presented by Rangibaoata, which had,been concealed by the clothes. Inunediately tlio scene was changcd. The women crowded over the basket and cried—the men wore awed. They gathered the plunder together, and returned the swag to its owner, offering to assist him in every possible way. The woman, it turned out, was the mother of liangihaeata. She had made tho kit, and recognised it as a passport from her son." Gaol-breakers. Ono of the most exciting times that the old colonist could remember was whf n some prisoners broke out of gaol. A dozen desperadoes escaped from custody anil put out to sea in a whaleboat. Thrir vessel foundered in the Straits, but the ruffians managed to reach shore, and made for tho interior. About six or seven of them penetrated as far as Rangitikei, plundering storekeepers en route. Very unwisely they injured a Maori, nwl the Native's then took a hand in assisting the authorities to capture the runaways. The chief Ifangihaenta captured the' chief of tho gang, and hold him in bondage at Mana. The chief constable went; up lo take charge of the prisoner, but "Ra.ngi" refused to surrender him. In the meantime, however, Mr. Burling reached Mann, and lold "Rungi" (hot the Government was offering a reward of Xo for every nrieouer. Tho warrior allowed his prey

to go with Mr. Burling, provided the bonus was handed over to a Maori who would accompany him. On (he journey down, the warder had to sleep handcuffed to his prisoner, and was not sorry when he landed his charge safely at Wellington. Eventually the whole gang was capturcd. A Close Call. On another occasion, when passing the foot of tho Ifimutnka, Mr. Burling had an adventure which is worth recalling. Ho was persuaded by a friendly Maori to stay the night so as lo see a lot of Maoris who were on their way from the King Country to Wellington. Many of these Natives had never wen a whiro man, and Mr. Burling thought it might bo worth while watching them. At nightfall ho took a place in a large whare, near his friend. Tho Maoris, who did not appear to take much notice nt jho pakeha squatted down and begin teiling stories in their own language, which Mr. Burling could understand quite well. Some of them boasted of the white men they had killed, and spoko of the pieces they had sent one another. To use the pioneer's words: "It. was awful to hear them. One fierce old fellow told of howhe had cut up Faulkner, the missionary. They hung him on a tree ami dismembered him." Things went on in this strain until about nine o'clock, 'when some wahinos came in with baskets of kumcrrus. "Take one," whispered the friendly Maori to his guest, "awl ray, 'Ka Nui Pai.'" No sooner had the instructions been carried out than the old Maori who had been talking about Faulkner rose and brandished a tomahawk in Mr. Burling's face. The warrior believed from the white man's accent that lie could speak Maori, and was_ annoved at the thought that all the stories had been understood by the pakeha. The friendly Maori interceded, and urged that Mr. Burling had merely used the words on his advice, and knew no more Maori, but it was some time before the tomahawk was lowered. These are examples of many trials which tho old pioneer had to weather. A Big Family. Mr. Burling leaves a family of thirteen —a number which has not proved unlucky in his case. He has dozens of grandchildren, and scores of grcat-grand-children. Mr. Burling will long be remembered throughout tho Wellington district, not only as a centenarian, but as a gemial even-tempered man, and a fine stamp of colonist.