A Correction.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5525, 14 May 1889, Page 2

A Correction.

[to the editoe.]

Sic, —In your issue of tho 9th inst. you announce the death of the Rot. Bartholomew Edwards, England's oldest clergyman, who, you state, lacked but a week or thereabouts of being a century old. Will you allow me to make a Blight correction. Mr. Edwards was over 100. It must be more than a year ago since I received a paper from England—the Walton and Thetford Times—published at Walton, a town three miles from Mr. Edwards' rectory, announcing the festivities held to celebrate his 100 th birthday. Among other things tho school children proceeded to the rectory to wish Mr. Edwards joy on his birthday. He stepped out of his drawing-room window on to the lawn, and addressed them, and gave each one a small present. Mr. Edwards was a very remarkable man. He never held but ono "living"—that of Ashill, in the county of Norfolk, to whioh he presented himself when he was 25. He remained there until his death. The rectory was worth £1000 per annum, and rectory house, &c, and until about eight years ago Mr. Edwards performed all the .duties of his office unassisted. At that time he •' engaged a curat" to assist him, and after attaining his 100 th birthday, he regularly took part in the services of the church. For the last nine years of my residence in England I resided about two miles from Ashill rectory, so that I knew Mr. Edwards well. I last saw him about seven years ago, when he was walking in a fiold adjoining my place. The trunk of a Btnall fallen tree lay in his way, and ho skipped over it with the agility of a lad of 18. The majority of mea of 50 are far less active than he was then.. Apologising for troubling you with this, aud hoping it may prove interesting,-—! am, &0., Feedk. T. W. Batson. Makaretu, May 13, 1889.