OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20921, 10 July 1931, Page 14

OBITUARY.

MRS. LOUISA JANE SEDDON.

, WIDOW OF FORMER PREMIER., The death occurred in Wellington late on Wednesday evening of Mrs. Louisa Jano Seddon, widow of the late Rfc. Hon. R. J., Seddon, former Premier of New Zealand, in her 81st yoar. Mrs. Seddon was a. daughter of Captain John -Stuart Spotswood, a pioneer of Victoria, and grand-daughter of Major-Ccncral Waddington, at one time Governor of Bombay. Born in Victoria in 1851, she was married to Mr. Seddon in 1869, and afterwards was associated with,, him jn his business affairs on the West Coast goldfields, chiefly at Kumara. She took an active part in church and benevolent movements in the district. When . Mr. Seddon became a Cabinet Minister , the family moved to Wellington.

•Although., Mrs. Seddon took no direct part in politics, she was for a long time the official head of tho women's organisation of the Liberal Party. She accompanied her husband to England for the Imperial Conference of 1902, and in the visit to South Africa which ensued, and was also with him on his final trip to Australia in 1906, in returning from which, on the steamer Oswestry Grange, in June of that year, he died. Since Mr. Seddon's death Mrs. Seddon had practically retired as far as public life was concerned.

Mrs. Seddon's family included Captain R. J. S. Seddon, N.Z.S.C., who served in the South African campaign and in the Great War, and was killed in France in 1918; Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, who \>;;s M.P. for Westland from 1906, and except for the Parliament of 1922-25, until 1928; Mrs. Bean, wife of'the Rev. W. S. Bean, of Canterbury ; Mrs. Morice, wife of Dr. C. G. Morice, of Wellington; Mrs. Hay, widow of Dr. F. Hay, late inspector of mental hospitals; Mr. Stuart Seddon, architect, of Wellington; Mrs. Woods, Mrs. Frank Dyer and Mrs. Knox Gilmer.

LADY OSBORNE-GIBBES,

[BX TELEGRAPH.—I'BESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday.

The death occurred at Lower Hutt today of Lady Sara Osborne-Gibbes, wife of Sir Edward Osborne-Gibbes, formerly Secretary for Education, She was 79 years of age. A daughter of Mr. John Mitchell, who held a captaincy in the Now Zealand militia and subsequently took up the profession of a teacher in native schools, she married Sir Edward in 1879.

Lady Osborne-Gibbes acquired a reputation during the war for her activity in the interests of men on their way to the front and on their return she was particularly successful in her appeal to tradesmen and others for gifts or loans of furniture and money, and there must be many hundreds of men who recall with pleasure and gratitude the time they spent in the rooms in Lambton Quay and Sydney Streot, managed and provided for by her. She is survived by her husband, her son, Mr. P. A. OsborneGibbes, of Rangitikei, and by her two daughters, Mrs. A. de R. Barclay, of Sydney, and Mrs. F. G. Thomson, of Lower Hutt. MR. HENRY G. COOMBE. The death has occurred of Mr. Henry G. Coombe, of Wheturangi Road, One Tree Hill, an officer of the Post and Telegraph Department for over 40 years. The eldest son of the late Mr. Joseph Coombe, first manager of the Auckland Savings Bank, Mr. Coombe was born in Auckland in 1859 and educated at the Auckland Grammar School. He entered the postal servico as a cadet in Auckland in 1875 and during his long career he was stationed in many parts of New Zealand. His last position, prior to his retirement in 1916, was that of postmaster at Onehunga. A keen bowler, Mr. Coombe was for several vears an active member of the Ellerslie" Club. He is survived by his wife and two young grandchildren. His only son, the late Mr. Gilbert Coombe, died some months a,go.