DEATH OF MR A. MOLLISON.

Evening Star, Issue 11152, 30 January 1900, Page 2

DEATH OF MR A. MOLLISON.

Another of Otago's old identities has joined the great majority. Mr Alexander Mollison died this morning, at three o'clock, at his residence. Egmont, Roslyn, aged seventy-six years. He was one of the most energetic of the early settlers, and will be well remembered throughout Otago. Born 'in Kincardineshire, Alexander Mollison spent part of his early life in Montrose, Forfarshire, and it was from that place that he came when he sailed for New Zealand in the ship Egmont, which made her voyage to Lyttelton in 1856. Mrs Mollison. who was a daughter of Mr Robert Forsyth (afterwards the proprietor of Arnha' Farm, Tokomaiaccompanied him, and they then had one child, now Mrs Peter Duncan. This Mollisons, though coming out in a ship bound for Lyttelton, were passengers for Otago, and they came on here by the schooner Julia. Ann, which met with bad weather on.the coast and had to take refuge in every midway port, eventually casting anchor in Port Chalmers after a passage of eleven days. Mr Mollison, on reaching Dunedin, went into trade as a general storekeeper, dealing chiefly in drapery, and in this way he established the business which ultimately became Kirkpatrick and Co.'s, the shop being on the Princes street site now occupied by Paterson and Barr. After several years Mr Mollison took to farming at Janefield, East Taieri, leasing from the "Ough tons land that is now in the possession of the Government as a village settlement. This venture proved a thorough success, and Mr Mollison was thereby encouraged to move to the preferable position of Waihola, where for twelve years "he held the. Waihola Park farm, in those days regarded as one of the prettiest places on the Southern coaching road. During part of this time Mr Mollison also owned a store at Gabriel's Gully. On selling the Waihola property he purchased a residence at Roslyn, and started in town the business of Mollison and Co., railway carters. For this venture he was specially qualified by his early training in Scotland, this being the line in which hi was there engaged. The railway contracting business, then quite new to New Zealand, was established by Mr Mollison in conjunction with one of his nephews, Mr James Mollison. ' At the same time Mr Mollison also started the drapery firm of Mollison. Duthie, and Co., his partners in that enterprise being his other nenhews, the Messrs Duthie. This is the business now carried on by Mollison and Co. at the corner of George and Frederick streets. Mr Mollison always took an active interest in public matters, and from 1856 to the abolition of the provinces he represented Waihola in the Provincial Council. For the past two or three years he had been confined to his house by infirmities which originated in an attack of influenza, but he was really ill for only about three weeks. Mrs Mollison died about nine years ago, but a large family survive the old settler—namely, Mr Jus. F. Mollison (junior member of the firm of Mollison and Co.); Mrs Peter Duncan ; the wife of the Rev. G. Lindsav, of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Invercargill ; the wife of Mr Robert S. Charters, of Puketo; Station, Maniototo; and two unmarried daughters.