OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 129, 25 February 1938, Page 13

OBITUARY

Mr. Matthew Martin One of the pioneers of Auckland, Mr. Matthew Martin, died at his home, Point Chevalier Road, on Tuesday, aged 86. He had lived in Auckland all his life. His passing prevented his realisation of a wish he had expressed to participate in the New Zealand Catholic centenary celebrations, because as a child lie had known Bishop Pompallier, the first Catholic missionary in the Dominion. The manner in which Mr. Martin’s father became a New Zealand citizen is unusually interesting. With _ his brother, he went on board a sailing vessel, probaldy an American whaler, when it anchored off the shore of a little island off the coast of Portugal early in the 19th century. They accepted an invitation for a sail in the ship, and never again saw their native land. One of the brothers, Antonio Mathias de Varga, came to New Zealand, look the name of Martin, and was the father of Mr. Matthew Martin. Following the sea himself, Mr. Martin was a registered master mariner at the age of 16. His first command was a cutter. Sovereign of the Sea. which was built on the beach at Matakana.' where his father and uncle both had large blocks of land. He and his father built up a fleet of cutters and schooners which were used for transporting coal, firewood and timber from tlie gulf, in addition to maintaining passenger services. Mr. R. J. Thayer One of Napier’s best-known and oldest citizens, Mr. Robert Jones Thayer, died on Wednesday, aged 81 years, states a "Dominion” Special Service message from Napier. Born in Blagdon, .Somerset, England, in 1857, the late Mr. Thayer caine to New Zealand with his parents in the sailing ship Caduceus, in 1872, and settled in Hawke’s Bay. He later went to Gisborne, but returned and had resided in Hawke’s Bay for the last 41 years. Mr. Thayer was a life member of the Napier Cosmopolitan Club, a past-presi-dent of the Druid Lodge, a member of the Royal Arch Chapter, and a prominent member of the St. Augustine’s congregation of 30 years’ standing. He leaves a widow, three sons, Mr. A. Thayer (Auckland), Mr. P. Thayer (Napier), and Sir. J. Thayer (Gore), and three daughters, Mrs. White (Gore), Mrs. Walker (Hastings), and Miss E. Thayer (Dannevirke). Mr. M. J. Knubley The death occurred recently of Mr. M. J. Knubley, an old and highly-re-spected citizen of Timaru. He was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Knubley, and was born at Plumbland, Cumberland, on November 15, 1851. He was educated at Marlborough College, and was admitted ns a solicitor in England in 1875. In 1876 he married the eldest daughter of Mr. E. M. Clissold. at Wrentham, England. Mr. Clissold had been out to New and he recommended Mr. Knubley to try his lot in the then Colony. Mr. and Mrs. Knubley left England in the P. and O. steamer Peshwar, which took them as far as Melbourne. Here they boarded the Arawa'md came to New Zealand via Bluff, finally landing at Lyttelton on December 16, 1876. ’ Mr. Knubley settled in Timaru in 1877 and purchased a partnership with Mr. A. G. Hammersley. This was later dissolved, and in 1878 Mr. Knubley purchased Mr, A. Ormsby’s practice, carrying on on his own account for about two years. In 1883 he went into partnership with Mr. L. G. Reid, who subsequently was appointed assistant Crown Law Officer, and the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Knubley then carried on on his own, and up to a little more than a year ago visited his office daily. One of'Mr. Knubley’s sons, Mr. Frank Knubley, served in the South African War, and his four sons. Messrs. Frank, Alfred, Hugh, and Henry, all served in the Great War. Alfred was killed in action, and Frank died after his return to New Zealand. The tw’o youngest sons are at present farming in the Albury district. Mr. Knubley has three daughters—Mrs. William C. Raymond, Mrs. Paul.Brodrick, and Miss Knubley.