PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 181, 28 April 1924, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. H. A. Beauchamp, New Zealand manager of Kodak Australasia, Ltd., has returned from Auckland. Mr. E. Page, S.M., returned from Auckland last week.

A well-known settler of Marlborough, Thomas Nelson Neal, died at Marshlands on Friday. Tho late Mr. Neale (telegraphs our special correspondent at Blenheim), who was one of the first generation of native born New Zealanders, was in his 72nd year, and was wont to claim that he was one of tho three first white children born at Nelson. Deceased spent his boyhood in the young settlement of Nelson, and followed various occupations, chiefly farming. He was prominent in the sporting and athletic field, and represented Nelson against Marlborough in what was probablv the first interprovincial cricket match. Mr. Neale arrived in the Wairau in 1868, and purchased his well-known property at Spring Creek in 188,3; he purchased part of tho Marshlands estate when it went on tho market, and a few years later he established his homo at Marshlands, where he had resided ever since. Mr. Neal enjoyed extraordinary health, and in tho last 50 years his family do not remember him spending a day in bed. He is survived bj’ Mrs. Neal, who is now in her 75th year, and there is a surviving family of seven sons and four daughters, with a total of 75 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. The sons are Messrs. Charles William Neal (Fabian’s Valley), John Frederick Neal (“Lucknow,” Seddon), Francis Neal (Marshlands), Thomas Neal (Seddon), Albert Irj’.iry Neal (Spring Creek) Edward John Neal (Marshlands), and Montague William Janies Neal (Marshlands) ; the daughters are Mesdames J. McDonnell (Opotiki), G. Woolley (Tuamarina), and J. Orchard (St. Omer, Kenepuru).

Mr. J. J. Rouse, managing director of Kodak Australasia; Ltd., who is on a flying visit to the Dominion, left for Auckland by motor on Saturday to catch the Niagara. Mr. James Thompson, one of the old school of hand compositors, died suddenly at his residence in Roslyn on Good Friday evening. Mr Thompson was born in Leeds, England, 70 years ago. He spent alxnit ten years of his youth in India, where his father was in the military service. At the age of 19 (in 1873) ho arrived in Dunedin, where he spent the remainder of his life. He occupied a “frame” in the “Guardian” and the “Otago Daily Times” companionships, and was recognised as a first-class hand compositor. Of later years he was engaged in job printing work, being employed by tho firm of J. Mclndoe (Ltd.), at the time of bis death. He was the oldest member connected with the Otago Typographical Union, and was at the time of his death (and for many years previously) a member of the board of management. For a long time ho was connected with Knox Church, where he was a regular attender. He is survived by a wife and grown-up family.