OBITUARY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 August 1924, Page 8

OBITUARY.

, T OLD DOMINION RESIDENTS

The death of the following old Dominion residents is reported: Ml's. Isabella Mincher, aged 84, died on the 10th inst. at Auckland. Mrs. Mincher. who was the widow of Mr. Thomas Mincher, arrived in New Zealand with her husband and family 42 years ago, by the sailing vessel Antares, and had resided at Onehunga and? Auckland ever since. She is survived by three sons and one daughter. Mi's. James Irvine, who died on the 11th inst. at the residence of one of .her sons-in-law (Mr. A. M. Ross, of Roslyn), had reached the age of 91 years. She was horn at Inverkeithing, Fifeshire (Scotland), in September of 1833.’ was married to Mr. James Irvine, and the couple came to Otago in the ship Mataura, landing there on September 16, 1863. Mr. Irvine founded in Dunedin the firm of Irvine and Stevenson. He died on August 9, 1913, two days short of eleven years prior to Mrs. Irvine’s death. About thirty years ago Mr. and Mrs. Irvine visited the Homeland, and toured the places that they knew when young. Last month Mrs. Irvine slipped in the hall and broke one of her legs. This, np doubt, hastened her death. The family consists ,of two sons and four daughters, also twenty-eight grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Dawson, who died, aged 81, at Invercargill, on the 10th inst.', was the widow of the late Mr. E. J. Dawson, whose father, Mr. William Dawson, was Invercargill’s first borough engineer. Mrs. Dawson was born in Launceston, Tasmania, in 1844, the year after the late Sir John Franklin completed his term as Governor of the island. Her father. Colonel Gateland, was one of the* military commanders in Hobert in the early days of the settlement. Her mother was the first white girl born in. Hobart, and lived to the age of 96. ' Colonel Gatelands went from Tasmania to try his fortunes in the Victoria, goldfields and was never heard of again. In the sixties Mr. Dawson came to Southland, and joined his brothers—Henry and Gliristo.plier—in the sawmilling business. Throughout her long life Mrs. Dawson was noted for her kindness, hospitality, and Christian virtues. Fourteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. ' Dawson. Two sons and five daughters survive—Messrs. W. T. Dawson, Christchurch, and Henry Dawson, Oama.ru; and Mrs. D. Grindr lay, and Mrs. H. Matthews', Invercargill; Mrs. W. J. Harvey, Auckland; Mrs. John Aston, Wellington; and Mrs. Bishop, Howick, Auckland. One of Mrs. Dawson’s great griefs in her old age was the loss of her son Basil in the war. She leaves a large, nurm her of grandchildren and twelve greatgrandchildren.

Mr. Alfred Tver, who died at Featherston recently was born at Twyford (Berks) in 1841. He was the second son of the late Mr. George Tyer, of Langley (Berks), a nephew of the late Sir John Musgrove, Bart., one of the New Zealand Land Co. The late Mr. Tyer sailed from England in the Robert Small in 1859. Arriving at Wellington in that year after an uneventful voyage, he "proceeded to Ngahauranga, where lie joined the late Mr. Henry BiVrber, afterwlards seeking knowledge of the country and experience with surveying parties in various parts of the colony, the site on which Invercargill stands being one which he assisted in surveying. After participating in the gold rush in the Otago district, he was returning to Wellington on board the Pride of the Yarra when that little vessel was run into and sunk bv the Favourite just outside Port Chalmers. He and some of his comrades were below deck at the time of the collision. With great difficulty they were able to prise open the hatches, and he was one of the few fortunate ones able to grasp an outstretched hand just as the two vessels departed. In the early sixties he established a fellmongery and tannery business at Ngahauranga, in which connection ho was the first in this country to make use of machinery for the scouring of wool He was also the first to ship pelts to England in- the ‘‘pickled” state, and it. was he who introduced the present world-wide method of removing the wool from the pelts. In addition, Mr. Tyer turned his attention to the production of tallow. His courage and initiative brought him raipd and complete success, and whilst still in his twenties he became one of the largest and most influential shippers of wool, hides, skins, and tallow. He secured large tracks of hand in the jWalirarapa. About 18 years ago Mr. Tyer decided to close down his tannery business, though mat was still a prosperous concern, and disposed of the land on. which it stood to the New Zealand Bacon and Meat Packing Co. Thenceforth he devoted biuiself entirely to farming, and continued to take an active interest in the management of his farm until the end. In 1869 be married Hannah Bould, a daughter of the late Mr. Robert Ron Id, of J olmson vj 1 lc. She predeceased him by onJv twu days.