PERSONAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5244, 8 August 1919, Page 5

PERSONAL.

A London cable message states that tho King has conferred on Mr Lloyd George Llie Order of Merit.

Mr. J. Hay, inspector of the Electoral Department, is at nresent paying an official visit to Gisborne.

Chaplain-Captain Bladin, of tho Salvation Army, and Mrs Bladin, were passengers from Napier by the Arahum yesterday.

Mr J. D. Kerr, Clerk in the Court at Dannevirke, lifts been appointed to .succeed Mr Viigler as assistant Qlerk of Court in Gisborne. Tho Rev. John Dawson, general secretary of the Now Zealand Alliance, who went to Canada after the licensing poll in New Zealand in April last at tho invitation of the World Prohibition League, returned to the Dominion by the Makura.

Mr George Hunter, tho sitting member, will again contest tho Waipawa. seat, which he lias held since 1911. Hisi old political opponent, Mr A. E. Jull, is at present on a visit to Australia, and lii_s intentions will probably not he definitely known until his return to the Dominion.

The death occurred yesterday in a private hospital in Auckland of the Right Rev. Dean Francis Hills, late Vicar-General of Christchurch, aged 61 years. The deceased was for number of years professor at St. Patrick’s College, Wellington. Ho retired from active church work some years ago.—Press Association.

The following New Zealanders have had honors conferred upon them, the next-of-kin being given in parenthesis :—Tomporary-Captain T. IT. Dickon son, Chevalier of the Crown of Roumania (E. J. Dickenson, brother, Fordell) ; Sergeant T. Russell, Croix do A irtuo Militarn. second class, Roumanian (Mrs. 1). Stone, Kaikoura).— Press Association .

Mr W. McCullough, qf Thames, who has occupied the position of Grand Master of Scottish Freemasonry in the North Island for ove- half a century, has retired from office. He has been presented in Auckland with a salver and silver tea and coffee service by tbe members of the craft as a mark of appreciation of his long a.nd valuable services. His successor is Air W. Handley.

In an obituary notice of the late Mr Laurent, the Taranaki Herald says: The eld gentleman came of a well-known family of Picardy, with which the Duke of Kent, father of Qiieon Victoria, is said to have contracted an alliance. The Duke -‘S stated to have legally married Madame de'St. Laurent, Baroness de Fortison, a French-Candaian lady. The validity of tlio marriage was not recognised by the laws ot England when he married Princess Victoria Mary Lousia of Saxe-Coburg, who became “the mother of Queen Victoria. The Duke was said to have left a son by his morganatic wife, and this soil was known in later years as' Brigadier-Green, Mr Laurent, of Hawera, came of the family to which Madam de Laurent, Baroness de Fortison, belonged.