OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20867, 8 May 1931, Page 14

OBITUARY.

REV. W. H. WEBSTER. The death of the Rev. W. H. Webster, for many years vicar of Waiuku and later a resident of Parnoll, occurred on Wednesday at his late residence in Bournemouth, England, at the age of 82 years. Born at Upton Hall, Cheshire, in 1849, the late Mr. Webster entered the Royal Navy in 1864, but retired on pension in ! 1873. He entered St. John's College, Cambridge and, having graduated, was ordained in 1876. After holding various curacies in England he was appointed chaplain at Bonn, Germany,, to the English residents there. From 1889, when ho loft Bonn, to 1892 ho was organising secretary of the Additional Curate Society, which sent clergymen to mining districts and places where previously there had been no church. Mr. Webster was in charge of livings in Tasmania from to 1899, when he came to New Zealand with his family, taking up the position of vicar of Waiuku. After being there for some years he retired from the Church and took up farming in the district, later coming to live in Parnell. In 1909 he and his wife went to England) where Mrs. Webster died in 1924. The late Mr. Webster was for many years an enthusiastic conchologist and his collection of New Zealand and foroign shells, which he presented to the- Auckland Museum, was a very fine one. Of lato years he had specialised on ontoliths and his valuable collection of these lias been left to the South Kensington Museum, He is survived by one daughter. Mrs. J. J. Seymour,' of Auckland, and four sons, Messrs. W. G. Wobster, of Whangarei; H. R. Webstar, of Waiuku; F. C. Webster, of Epsom; and G. E. Webster, of Paparoa. There are 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.