OBITUARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9446, 22 June 1891, Page 6

OBITUARY.

Early on Saturday morning there passed away in the person of Mr Walter Britton Moss, one of the best known of Ashburton's residents. For some time be bad suffered from a severe cold, and on Friday further symptoms manifested themselves, and despite all that medical skill could do the malady increased in severity, and terminated fatally on the following morning, Mr Moss, who was fifty-five years of age, was born in St Helena. He was educated for the legal profession, and though he practised for some time in his native place, Jamestown, his attention was mainly directed to other pursuits, and at one time he did a considerable business in the purchase and dismantling of slaving vessels, captured off the African coast, and sold as prizes at St Helena. With the opening of the Suez Canal, and the consequent diversion of the Indian trade, St Helena’s palmy days passed away, and the decay of the prosperity of his native Colony led Mr Moss to try his fortunes in America. His great ability as an accountant gained him a high position in a large mercantile establishment in Chicago, a position he held for several years, until he decided to relinquish it in order to come to New Zealand, where several of his relations lived. He settled at Greymouth in 1878, but sometime afterwards entered the employ of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, opening the Ashburton branch, of which he was the first manager, and afterwards filling a similar position at the Lyttelton office. He left the Company’s service ia order to start business as an auctioneer ia Ashburton, bub the new venture not proving successful was abandoned, and Mr Moss turned his attention to accountant’s work, an occupation in which he was engaged till the time of bis death. A rare geniality, an unfailing good humour and a sturdy manliness were characteristics which won for him a wide esteem, and his death will leave a gap which, to those who knew him, will never quite be filled. Mr Moss, who was a brother of Mr F. J. Moss, the exand the lately appointed British Resident at Earatonga, leaves a widow, and six sons and two daughters.