PERSONAL.

Evening Star, Issue 10725, 10 September 1898, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Mr Robert Chapman, one of the early settlers, died to-day at his residence, Nevada. The deceased gentleman was born in February of 1812 at Hconehaven, Kincardineshire, and arrived in Oiago by the Blundell on the 21st September, 1848. lu 1849 he was appointed clerk to the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Dunedin ; also Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Registrar of Deeds and Intestates, and Registrar of the Supreme Court, in which he held tho status of a solicitor by virtue of documents he brought from the Supreme Court of Scotland. He was the first factor to the trustees of the Presbyterian Church, and was elected a member of the first Town Board of Dunedin. On New Zealand obtaining its Constitution in 1854 he became the first Clerk of the first Provincial Council of Otago, and the first returning officer at the election of members of the Piovincial Council of Otago. As the province progressed and public business increased he found it necessary to give up several of these duties in 1860, but retained the position of Registrar of the Supreme Court and Registrar of Deeds and Intestate Estates until nia retirement from the public service. Mr Chapman had been confined to his residence since April o' last year. The sutviving mem» bers of his family are Mrs Chapman, Mrs J. R. Sinclair, and Mr C. R. Chapman. A complete surprise was sprung upon Mr H. G. Moire, organist and choir master of the Hanover street Baptist Church, at the weekly choT practice. A few friends interrupted the practice for the sake of making a prtsvLtalion to Mr Moore. The Rev A. North, in making the presentation, spoke of Mr Moore’s exoeptional regularity and his willingness to spare no persona! efforts to make the singing a success. He also called attention to the harmony which existed ■m»ong the choir members, and which was directly attributable to Mr Moore’s management. Mr North went on to say that Mr Moore had been unceasing in his labors for now more than twenty years, and the result was not a monopoly of the singing by the choir, but good congregational tinging. Mr North handed Mr Moore a silver teapot and butter cooler and also a set of carvers.

After business hours yesterday, in the premises of Messrs M'Leod Bros., Ltd., a presentation of a purse of sovereigns was made to Mr Fred O’Neill as a token of the • seem and the goulwill of his fellow omplotiD on his leaving the employ of the firm to take up a situation in Gore. Mr W. Williams made the presentation in an appropriate speech.