OBITUARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXII, Issue 7414, 3 December 1884, Page 2

OBITUARY.

TEE EEV JAMES BCLLEE. By the death of the Reverend James Bullet on Nov. 6, in his 72nd year, the kVesleyan Church loses one of its most Imtingtiished ministers, and the Colony me of its oldest residents. The deceased gentleman was a native of Cornwall, but ■amc* to Now Zealand so long ago as 183 C. rhe country then was almost a terra Rcojpiita, and with the exception of a few radars and mission families, there were 10 European inhabitants. Mr Bailor’* j it I reriacnce was at Mangongu, in the flokianga, where, for a time, be wasa tutor n the family of the late Rev Nathaniel Purner. Speedily acquiring the Maori angaage. Mr Bailer entered upon nkskm tell, and for nearly half i century gave full proof of hi* ainistry. First, on the Hokianga •aver, and afterwards, for fifteen years, at ni«*jon stations on the Wairoa river in he Kaipom waters, he devoted himself to ho evangelisation of the Native tribe*, fomamed of a good constitution and In* iomitable will, he travelled in hi* canoe m the rivers, and on foot through the bush racks, carrying to the Maori kaingna the manage of peace. In 1839 he travelled >verland from Kalpora te Port Nicbol* ion. meeting the first band of the New tealand Company'* immigrant* while still it anchor in the Wellington harbour, and divine service on hoard one if the sbijM. lie met Captain Hobson at be Bay of Island* shortly before New 1 teahwd waa proclaimed by that officer i British Colony. During Eonl Eekc’s sar in the North, Mr Bailor continued to -elide on hi* flatten. And by mean* of hi# oval Native was able to give important ntelltgsnre to Government. In Ere early lay* of the Auckland scWh meat he made ptriodtoal visit* there for the jporpoae of nsnteteriag to the European residents. A* i Maori murionary he «u privileged to see snuch auocea*. Tim Natives of the North in large numbers forsook hefttlmnirm. iearmd to read and write, and showed the pmutoeneM of their Christianity by setting free their slave* and abstaining from tribal wars. To the end of hi# day* Mr BulUtr Ml a dwp interest in the Maori people, and when after 30 years’ absence he revisited the some* of his early tell, ho was much aJfe-ted by the mark* of kindly rewritten and respect he received from tlio old Natives, la !bS«S Mr Bailer was appointed a* minister <4 th* Wealeyan English emigre* Stten in Wellington. During a rent* nee of si* years there be gathered»large congregation in the City, am! frequently visited the out-settlements In the EtiU, Wftlnrnpa and Wanganui, and had also under his charge six Native ehurebe*. i Be likewise acted a* Chairman of the district, having eccle*ia»tu.-al supervision of all the Wesleyan ministers outside the Auckland Province, In Hull ho took up hbresidence m Christchurch, where he re* matoed for five year*. The Canterbury circuit, of which he then had charge, extended from the Ashby to the ftelwyn, and from the Kowai Fan* to Lyttelton. Nameroufl churches were erected, and among them the present one in Durliam street, in which he was deeply interested, and took a most active part In raising funds for the I|e also introduced the rervha* of hi# Church in Hokitika and Tlmaru, and MM «“»• Vor Mwan. he was m active member el the Board of GovemoHud CuWep* fiub. wutiently Mr Bailer laboured in Auckland, the Thames goldfield, and afterward* to Christchurch SmTreoond term. {» W hi toft New Zealand tor Englimd waOnvaHtaAltarMb During arcrideaoe of ire years to theWomo Country, by too* tures, correspondenee, and the of hi* « Forty Tsars in New Zealand/' he made Em Colony widely known, and many of our present Cokmisteeatue mil to oonse* uuenreofhlsetatenienta After hto return to 1881 hsrettted in Cbristehurch jnd fora lime rwttcred effletent service la the St Albans For two years part the dteawrw.

. which at length proved fatal, prevented t his preaching. Last winter tried his * enfeebled constitution severely, nnd for fiv’iftc week* |>««l his death ha* In*en ex* * peeled. Mr ilnller was no ordinary man. Pee- .* «eaSed of great mental power, hn wa« aft I axreUetd- preacher, and a eapable ehureh t administrator. He wa* t wire elected by f hb hrethren in the mintsliy !<’ th« rre«»- . deney of Hie Confereiiee, in Melbourne in , IHiH, and Aucklan*! in l«7i» f and f<*f , twenty years in oueewwion bold the oJl’io* of rhairwan of the distriet. Ho had f (ravelled extensively in New Zealand, was , rt’Mpminied with Urge number* of people, and by all held in high esteem, | His thorough ae«|Uaintaneo ( with the . Maori character rendered his opinion on Native affair* specially valuable, nnd few non had a better aeunaintanee with New Zealand lie claimed hi* right* a* a edtiren. yet never sunk the : Christ mu minister. Ills benevolence was great, nnd many » struggling settler re* | reived front him *ub*Untial help. The rev gentleman leave* a widow, five son* and one daughter to mourn their loss. HU eldest son, Dr Hullcr, is well-known a* a loading Itarristorand nclontist in Wellington, and the other* are settled in »a»niiiw»r* eial and profcfwiotml life, the daughter la-tug married and residing in Uislmme. Many ConU’rhnry residents who knew Mr Ilnller in the by-gone year* will feel that by hi# removal another link connecting them with the jiiint haa Wn brekert, but they will long remetnlaT lit# services, Tna Fnn«HAt.. The funeral of the Kov James Buller, which t.«<k place on Saturday, Nov. 8, wo* the occasion nf a gathering such a# him not been seen in connection with the Wesleyan Church since the time of the memorable Tamm* disaster. The members of that Church assembled from nearly all jwrts of the Province to show their respect for one who was looked upon almont as a father, and reveml mlnUters and members of other chiirehes showed, by their prv#-c-nw, that the respect in which the deceased was held was not confined to pi*raon» of his own religious denomination. Shortly after 2 oVlvk. a brief sorvicu wai performed at Mr Bullor’a'honre. m the Pajianul road, ctxndiicbed by the Revs W. Morlcy (President of Conference), E, Best, and J. Aldred. A {tax-mion of some 20 carriagiw then fob ow,«d the hearse to the Durham street Wesleyan Chiireh, which was draped with bhu-k for thv occasion. The eoflln was removed from the hcaiuo and in front of the communion rails, the organist, Mr E. Scare!!, playing Chopin's " Punoml March *’ Portion# of scripture were read by the Ib’v.i W. Morley and J. Aldred, and the congregation sang hymn Ml," Where •hall true believer# go?” Thu Bov J. Crump delivered a brief address, in which be drew attention to some of the chief points of the character of the departed. Hymn 50, “ Blessing, Honour, Thanks, and Praise,” was then sung, and after it* conclusion, prayer was offered by the Rev W. J. Williams, and the coffin was replaced ia the hearse and taken to the Wesleyan cemetery, where it was interred, the service at the grave being performed by the Rev W. Morley. The chief mourners were Dr Hullcr, Messrs B. BuUrr, W. Buller. J. Builer, P. W. Isitl, and Dr Mickle. The poll-bearer* were the Revs Connell, Williams, Luxford, and Buttle. There was a large gathering in the church, and also at the cemetery. Among those present were the Rev Canon Cholmondeley, the Revs F. Knowles, H. Qlaaaon, 0. P. Mutn (Church of England), the Rev J. Ward (Primitive Methodist), and a large number of Wesleyan ministers, Including the Revs Williams and Symonds, of Melbourne. Messrs 0. Gould, C. W. Turner, J. Ballaatync, H. K. Webb, J. Cameron, F. J. Garrick, and other well-known gentlemen were also present. The interior of the Durham street Wesleyan Church was draped with black on Sunday as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Rev J. Btiller. In the evening the Rev W. Morley preached a funeral sermon, taking for bis text Acts xiii, 36: “ David having served bis own generation by the will of God fell on sleep." In the course of his address the preacher referred to the real and devotion to religion displayed by the venerable minister, whose loss was so widely deplored. MR GEORGE WATSON. IVe grieve to have to report that Mr George Watson's illness terminated fatally on Nov. 23. On Saturday, the first question cricketers asked when they met on their grounds was how their comrade was getting on, and great wa# the relief when it was announced that the crisis of hi# illness was over. Unhappily, either this was exaggerated, or a reaction set in, for early on-Sunday morning tile notice t wos brought to our office which conveys the melancholy nows of hi# death. George Watson wa# not, perhaps, so generally known to resident# as a man who occupied a more public position would be, but ht* bus repeati<dly occupied the honourable position of representative of the Province in the cricket field, and with feuch credit as to mako bis name known a# one of the foremost players in the Colony. Unassuming In manner, and thoroughly in eararet in what ha undertook, the late captain of Urn Midland Club will lw regretted by all who knew him—-not more for the lo#a of a sterling cricketer than for the lamentable suddenness with which he has disappeared from our midst. At the time of hi# death, Mr Watson, who was a graduate of New Zealand University, was a master at Christ's College, whither be bad not long remowd from the Boy#' High School, lie leave* a wife and family. The funeral took place on Wednesday, Nev. 26. For one cut off at such an early age the procession of mourners was very large. But, beside# having endeared himself t« all the cricketer# of the community, who mustered in force to do the last, sod honour* U* the memory cf their friend, Mr Watson wa# junior master at Christ's College, and luul also been connected in a similar capacity with the High School. A very largo number of member* belonging to the different City Chiba followed next tb« earrings containing the nearer friend# and relative* of the deceased gentleman. A long double line of College Boys, with the masters of both schools in wiiivh be had Iwon a U'tt).*ber, as well a# students of Canterbury College, of which ho was a graduate, also helped to swell the The body was taken from 0m residence of the deceased to the cemetery gate iu a hearse. From thence to the mortuary chapel the ixiffin, which was covered with flowers, was borne by four of his <xttumd«* of the Midland Club, vi*., Uaun O'CaiUgtian, Davey. Hill, and AVashcr, Mr Watson had lawn Captain of the club tor two seasons. The serviee at the grave aide was impressively read by the Rev V, A. Hare, Divinity Master at Christ's College,