OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 19, 24 January 1927, Page 10

OBITUARY

MR, H. D. VAVASOUR

The death of Mr. Henry Dunstan Vavasour, of "Ugbrooke Station, Marlborough, one of New Zealand's pioneer settlers, is announced. The late Mr. Vavasour, who was. in his 77th year, was born at Hazelwood Castle, Yorkshire, and was a descendant of the Stourtons, who were noblemen of the Saxon Kingdom many years before the Conquest. The present head of the house, Lord Mowbray, of Legrave and Stourton, is premier baron, of England. The late Mr. Vavasour was the third, son of Sir "William Vavasour, and -was educated at Ascot College, near Birmingham. He came to New Zealand in 1871 and engaged in sheep farming for some time. Later he took up land in Taranaki, where ho resided till 1880. He was, a member of the first Taranaki County ■ Council and a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board. In 1882 he was appointed manager of Flaxbourne, Marlborough, and in 1897 purchased TTgbrobke Station. He took a prominent part in local body affairs in Marlborough for many years. The late Mr. Vavasour married in 1887 at Blenheim Miss Bertha Mary Bedwood, daughter of the late Thomas Redwood, of Burleigh, and niece of Archbishop Redwood. There were twelve children. The eldest son (George) was killed at Passchendaele; the second son (Kollo). also died on active service in Ifrance, and a daughter died at school in England. The surviving members of the family are:— Mrs. Lan Johnston, Wellington; Mother Vavasour, of the Sacred Heart Convent, Sydney; Mrs. F. F. Reid, Blenheim; E. J. Vavasour, Fairlie; Francis N. Vavasour, of the Jesuit Seminary, Roehampton, England; Gerald Vavasour, now in Canada; and Messrs. H. H, and John and Philip Vavasour, of Ugbrooke. .