PASSING OF A PIONEER.

Matamata Record, Volume XI, Issue 931, 25 June 1928, Page 4

PASSING OF A PIONEER.

MR. H. T. W. SOUTHEE.

There passed away at Walton on

Thursday, June 14, another of New Zealand’s fast diminisliing band of pioneers, in the person of Mr. Henry Thomas Wilkinson Southee, at the age of ninety-eight years.

Mr. Southee was a native of Maidstone, Kent (England), son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Southee of that place, and he was the sixth member of a family of thirteen.. He came to New Zealand eighty-seven years ago, in the sailing ship Lady Nugent. Landing at Wellington, Mr. Southee had his full share of roughing it as a pioneer, for there were then no roads and no houses where the city of Wellington no\y stands. Readers of early New Zealand history will recall that in those far-off days the hardy pioneers had to live in tents and whares made out of clay and raupo, which the Maoris showed them how to build. There were also sod whares, as known in older countries. Then came the timber shack, the trees being pitsawn, and Mr. Southee took his turn at that slow, laborious, back-breaking job too, as well as 'at roadmaking, Iraining, and general farm work un- ' der conditions much more arduous than exist to-day. However, when Mr. Southee landed on March 17, 1841, he had his career to carve out of primeval nature. He later worked for the late Mr. Luxford in a butchery business at Wellington, then went farming at the Lower Hutt. Although he did not actually take part j a the Maori war he was attached to the militia in a non-combatant capacity, but ready to take the field should occasion require. After disposing of the Hutt property he took up a farm at Feilding, but of late years he was living a retired life with relatives.

Mr. Southee was of an unassuming disposition, and took no part in public affairs, though he was a brother of Royal Rose Lodge, 1.0.0. F., Hutt Valley. He was a good shot with both the rifle and the sporting gun, and he astonished his sons one day when he told them to put up a benzine tin for him and he took a shot at it. “He must have put nearly every pickle into it,” was the comment when they went to view the pattern.

The old pioneer was hale and hearty all his life, and smoked his pipe up till the day before his death. He was ill for only three days. His wife, who was the fifth daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiggins, of Napier, predeceased him twenty-eight years ago. The bereaved comprise two sons, Messrs. Henry .Robert John and Robert Wiggins Southee, of Walton; also eight grandchildren and one great grand child. Thus there were four generations living before the demise of the venerable sire. The interment took place in the Methodist section of the Feilding cemetery, the Rev. Copeland officiating.