DEATH OF THE REV. A. H. MACKONOCHIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8980, 18 February 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

DEATH OF THE REV. A. H. MACKONOCHIE.

LOST ON THE HILLS AND DIED OF

EXPOSURE.

The.Rev. Alexander Heriot Mackonochie died at Ballachulish on December 19, while on a visit to the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, under very sad and painful circumstances. Mr. Russell, one of the curates of St. Albans, Holborn, at once made a hasty journey to Scotland, and on his arrival sent the following telegram from Ballachulish, which was received in London next even-

ing :— He went Thursday morning to walk to head of loch, ten miles off, with two dogs, deerhound and terrier. Snowstorm came on and darkness, lost trail, wandering miles up into mountains, lay down, dogs watched two days and nights; would not- let searchers approach. Found 17 miles from home, head frozen into snow. Hat off. Lies in Bishop's chapel; no trace of suffering upon face. A correspondent gives the following further particulars : —On Thursday Mr. Mackonochie left at eight o'clock, having a deerhound and a terrier with him. lie passed Kinlochmore Lodge about noon. As he did not return to Aultshellach House in tho evening some alarm was felt, and a party was sent as far as lvinloch to make inquiries, but nothing was known beyond that he had been seen passing at noon. Tho night was very stormy. On Friday a large party from North Ballachulish, accompanied by the Bishop of Argyll, went up and, accompanied by all the shepherds and keepers, searched the hills in all directions, continuing the search all night and up to 2 p.m. on Saturday, when they were about to give up the search in that part of the forest. But as Hugh M'Coll and Duncan M'Coll, jun., of Kinlock, were crossing a wire fence they noticed the deerhound sitting beside a snow wreath in a hollow close to the fence and on going over they found the body lying in the hollow and tht> two dogs beside it. The Bishop and the rest of the party were hailed, and arrangements were made for carrying the body home from the glen. It appears that Mr. Mackonochie, after passing Kinlock, had gone along tho road six miles, and when darkness set in he must have lost the road, for he had gone about a mile and a half off the path up the hillside, and, having come to a wire fence, lie evidently had followed it until lie came to the hollow, which was surrounded by a heavy wreath of snow, over which he could not go. The hollow was very much trampled, apparently by Mr. Mackonochie walking round and round, until becoming exhausted, he lay down with his hand under his head. When found, the hdad and shoulders wore covered with snow. Mr. Mackonochie graduated at Wadham College, Oxford, in 1848, taking a second class In Lit. Hum. He was ordained deacon and priest in 1849 and 1830 by the Bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Denison); he was for three years curate of Westbury, Wiltshire. In 18.12 he became curate of Wantage under Canon Butler, now Dean of Lincoln ; in 1858 he became curate of St. George's-in-the-East, where he was during tho riots in the parish church, though working mainly in the mission church in Well-close-square. In 18112 he was nominated by the Right Hon. .J. (I. Hubbard, M.P., to the perpetual curacy of St. Alban's, Holborn, where he remained for twenty years, during nearly the whole of the time a prosecution at tho suit of Mr. Martin was going on against him. His history at one time was that of the struggle of the Ritualist party in the Church. Often defeated in the courts, he always held his own, supported by a large and devoted congregation, He worked very earnestly among the poor in the courts and alleys round Holborn, and when by arrangement with the late Archbishop Tail and Bishop Jackson lie became in 1882 for a time vicar of St. Peter's, London Docks, his original sphere of labour in London, his heart was always in St. Alban's, on the staff of which he always considered himself to be. He was a very earnest man, respected by many who differed widely from his theological opinions.