SIR ROBERT AND LADY STOUT

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 78, 27 December 1926, Page 10

SIR ROBERT AND LADY STOUT

CELEBRATE* GOLDEN WEDDING TO-DAY

As the bird trims her to the gale So trim we to the storm of time, “Lowly faithful, banish fear, Right onward drive unharmed; The port, well worth the cruise is near. And every wave is charmed. 1 ’

Sir Robert Stout and Lady Stout, two of tile oldest and best-known citizens of the Dominion, celebrated their golden wedding to-dfv, although, owing to holidays, the Lctual wedding reception will not be held until Wednesday.

Sir Robert .and Lady Stout have been receiving congratulatory messages for days past. .Sir Robert Stout, as is well known, is a native of the Shetland Isles, having been born at Lerwick on September 28, 1844. Lady Stout-is a native of New Zealand, and was born on September 29, 1858, in Dunedin, the daughter of early settlers in the persons of Mr. and Mrs. John Logan, who came to Otago from Scotland in 1854. The house where she was born is still on Roval Terrace, Ferntree Cottage, and on her marriage to Sir Robert Stout on. December 27, 1876, they lived not far from there in London Street, still on her father’s property, and there most of her children were born. Sir Robert Stout, who was a teacher (he arrived in New Zealand in 1863), and was at the Dunedin Grammar School. He studied law and was law lecturer at Otago University from 1873-75. After serving on the Otago Provincial Council and Land Claims Court, he entered Parliament in 1875 as member for Caversham. Sir Robert Stout subsequently' became a Minister of the Crown, At-torney-General aiid Premier in the Stout-Vogel Administration for a short period. He was last elected to the House in 1894 for Wellington, and serv-

ed until 1897. He was made Chief Justice in 1899. Lady Stout came to Wellington in 1877, when Sir Robert Stout was a member of Parliament, and they lived first in Mulgrave Street. _ They built their present home on Wellington Terrace, the year that Sir Robert Stout was made Chief Justice, the foundation being laid in July, 1899. In 1909 they went to England for a trip, and Sir Robert Stout attended the Darwin centenary at Cambridge, and the Tercentarv of the Geneva University. Lady Stout did not return with Sir Robert, but remained in England until 1912, and it was during those years that she was actively engaged in the campaign for women’s suffrage. One of the outstanding events of that time was the occasion when women for the first time spoke at a chamber of commerce dinner. Mrs. Fawcett (now Dame Millicent Fawcett), the veteran suffrage leader, being one of the speakers. The “passive resistance” strike of the census night was also during these years: Lady Stout did not relax her energies on her return to New Zealand, and has alwavs been to the fore in all feminist movements, as well as philanthropic work for women and children. She was the founder of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children in Wellington’and worked in the society until her health necessitated her retirement a verv short time ago. She' was one of the first to take up the Plunket work, and on her . return to New Zealand in

1912 (coming out on the same boat as Lord and Lady Liverpool) slie resumed her activities in this and many other good works. V* hen last year the women of Wellington wished to show appreciation of Ladv Stout’s many years of public service the response was spontaneous and heartfelt.

Sir Robert Stout’s .public work has been mainly in scholastic direction. He was a member of the Otago University Council from 1882-87, was one of the founders of Victoria University College, and was Chancell6r of the New Zealand University from 1903-22. During his visits to England he received non. degrees from Oxford, Manchester, and Edinburgh. On his last visit, in 1921, with Lady .Stout, he attended the University Congress at Cambridge. Sir Robert and Lady Stout’s family will be with them' on Wednesday and most of their grandchildren. The family consists of Mr. Jack Stout (S.M., Palmerston North), Dr. Robert Stout, Dr. Duncan* Stout, and Air. Ola Stout, of Wellington, and Airs. Trevor Holmden, of Auckland. They have eight grandchildren. Among those who were present at the wedding of sixty years ago not manv are left, but they include Lady Williams, Sir John Sinclair, Air. John AlcGregor, of Dunedin, Airs. Copeland, Airs. Alurrav, Airs. Charles Chapman, and Air. and Airs. Alex. Logan (Lady Stout’s brother) who celebrated their golden wedding last year.