OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 195, 16 May 1938, Page 11

OBITUARY

Mr. John Brasell, Lower Hutt Mr. John Brasell, for 30 years a councillor of the borough of Lower Hutt, died yesterday at Dunedin, where he had been spending a holiday with his daughter, Mrs. C. F. Fowler. He was 75 years old. Just prior to the recent electiou lie announced his retirement from the council. He was one of the most wellknown and respected residents of the Hutt Valley. He was a life member of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. and up to the time of his death a member of its council. He was also a member of the Hutt River Board for many years and would have contested a seat again on this body bad not illness intervened. He first became a councillor of Lower Hutt in 1894 under the first mayor, Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert. He retired from municipal affairs for a decade and was defeated at one election, being returned at a subsequent by-election. Apart from these breaks he bad been a councillor continuously, ami in all the electiou contests but that in which lie was defeated he was more often than not top of the poll and never lower than third. He was one of the few associated with the borough’s political life who had seen Lower Hutt grow from little more than a town board district to its present status. When he was first elected a councillor, 126 votes topped the poll; top vote in last week’s election was. for councillors, 2944. Mr. Brasell came from Buckinghamshire, England, where his father was a farmer, to South Canterbury. There, as a young man. he did well as a. racing road cyclist. He went to Lower Hutt in 1892 and took up land fronting what was then Chinamen’s Lane — to-day it is Waterloo Road, with fine residences and beautiful gardens, not the least of the latter being Mr. Brasell’s.

Mr. Brasell had many line shooting trophies, lie won the open shoot of the Hutt Valley Gun Club when lie was 70. He was made a life-member of this club, of which he was secretary for many years, in 1927. With Mr. F. Mason, now at. Feilding, he formed the Waiwetu Cricket Club out of which grew the present Hutt Cricket Club. Last winter, at 74, he took up golf. Mr. Brasell’s wife predeceased him some years ago, and he will be brought to Lower Hutt for burial alongside her in Taita Cemetery. He is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Charles F. Fowler, 166 Victoria Hoad, Dunedin. The mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. W. Andrews, said last night that the borough owed much to Mr. Brasell. He had a unique record as a councillor, serving under the first mayor and every successive mayor, but one. He had left Lower Hutt but a short period ago in the best of health, and his death was a great shock. His genial and generous disposition had made him a general favourite and his place in the community would be hard to fill. His was _a life of true self-sacrifice in the public interest, and those who knew him were the 'better for his life among them. Mr. J. C. Bryant The death occurred with tragic suddenness yesterday afternoon of Mr. John C. Bryant, one of Napier’s bestknown business men, states a “Dominion” Special Service message from Napier. Born in the North of Ireland 70 years ago, Mr. Bryant as a young man went to Victoria, and for some years lived in Melbourne. About 35 years ago he went to Napier, and had lived there ever since. On going to Napier he joined Newton and Company, an old-established firm of grocers and general merchants. He became shop manager and ultimately purchased the business. Under his proprietorship, the business extended, branches being established in Napier as welt as a branch at Waipawa. After the earthquake Mr. Bryant showed his faith in Napier’s future by building a splendid modern block on the site of the former premises in Hastings Street, in which his central business was personally conducted by him till he sold it a few weeks ago. Mr. Bryant was a director of the Starr-Bowkett Building -Society, the Hawke’s Bay Investment Society, and the Hawke’s Bay Soap and Tannery Company. He was a former borough councillor, a former member of the Hawke’s Bay Electric Power Board, and a member' of the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Relief Committee. During his residence in Napier, Mr. Bryant was closely associated with every movement which aimed at the betterment and progress of Napier and district, and he is described by those who knew 'him best as a worthy citizen in every sense of the word. Mr. Bryant, who was a Freemason, leaves a wife” and four sons and two daughters. The sons are Messrs. Max Bryant, , Newtown, Wellington; Noel Bryant, Bank of New South Wales, Auckland; Keith Bryant, Napier; and Harold Bryant, manager of the Waipawa branch of his father’s business. The daughters are Mrs. 2k. Dillon, Whakatu, and Miss Myrtle Bryant, Napier. Mr. 0- T. Evans The death occurred at Wellington on Friday of Mr. Owen Thomas Evans. The late Mr. Evans, who was born at Anglesey, ‘Wales, in 1880, came out to New Zealand in 1901, and at the time of his death was the principal of O. T. Evans and Co., indent agents, Wellington. Mr. Evans is survived by his wife, two sons—Messrs. O. G. Evans and R. 11. Evans—and a daughter—Mrs. W. Manson. Glasgow. Shortly after his arrival at Wellington, Mr. Evans joined the firm of Ross and Glendining, and was witli them till 1919, when he founded the firm that bears Ills name. He was well known in the soft-furnishing trade, and took a keen interest in the affairs of the Wellington Commercial Travellers and ■Warehousemen’s Association, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the ■Welsh .Society, the Savage "Club, and the Titahi Bay Golf Club. A prominent member of the Welsh Society in 'Wellington, of which he was president for a. time. Mr. Evans was one of tile active workers in the society for the presentation of the bardic chair to the Wellington Eisteddfod Society. His funeral took place at the Crematorium, Karori, on Saturday afternoon. — Mr. W. J. Moffatt The death occurred on Saturday night of Mr. Walter J. Moffatt, a former mayor of Nelson and chairman of | the Cawthron Institute Board of Trus- i tees, states a Press Association message I from Nelson. j The late Mr. Moffatt, who was born 1 in 1866, liiid a long career in public j life, first at Motueka and later at Nelson. His first, task was in assisting to have the township of Motueka con- | stituted a borough, and he initiated I the movement for the formation of the Motueka harbour district. He war 1 largely responsible for the establish-

inent of the Motueka High School. In 1899 he contested the Motueka seat, but was unsuccessful, which he also was in Nelson iu 190 S and 1911. Iu 1907 he went to live permanently in Nelson and began a successful local body career, lie was a member of the Nelson City Council from-1915 to 1935, and from 1927 to 1935 was mayor. He was for eight years a member of the Cawthron Institute Trust Board, for four years as chairman. He also played a leading part iu the promotion of the Nelson Fire Board and was its first chairman, relinquishing the position only a few weeks ago. He was also the first, president of the Nelson Progress League and was a prominent Forester. He leaves one daughter—Mrs. A. B. Hurst, Napier—and two sons—Mr. Thomas Moffatt, Christchurch, and Mr. Edgar Moffatt, Nelson. Mr. C. H. Chatwin The death occurred suddenly at Kilbirnie on Friday of Mr. Charles Henry Chatwin. Mr. Chatwin, who was 42 years of age, was born in Pahiatua, where he joined the staff of the Union Bank of Australia. He was stationed at various country branches and came to the Wellington office 12 years agoHe was the eldest son of Mr. G. W. Chatwin, Pahiatua, who was formerly headmaster of the Pahiatua High School. A member of the Wellington Football Club, lie was also keenly interested in cricket. He was also an accomplished pianist. Mr. Chatwin is survived by his