OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21292, 20 September 1932, Page 12

OBITUARY

MR. G. E. DARTON ENGINEER FOR GISBORNE r H . ■ 1 I IIMH J • • ■ . «•' [BY TELEGIIAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] .J|fj » GISBORNE; Monday IJ| The death occurred yesterday of Mr,||j George Edward Darton, Gisborne borough ||l engineer, who had an interesting war Jfl record. He was born in 1871, at Law-ffl rence, where his father had been a figure §§l in district politics. Mr. Darton volun- f|l teered for service in the first year of the Great War and left with the sth BetQ.||j forcements. He arrived at Gallipoli in time?'J to carry out surveying and topographical I work, and it was the ability he showed • K in this direction that later led to hirlfl association with the world-famous figure, i Colonel Lawrence, in Arabia. Mr. Darton was for several months a : II member of the special force placed at i i the disposal of the great desert fighter I *J and leader. This association was continued }?i| later by correspondence right up to the I . time of Mr. Darton's death. After serv-■ ing with Colonel Lawrence in the desert. §|j Mr. Darton was invalided to England fjj| and returned to New Zealand in 1916 for * ' his discharge. I During his earlier years, Mr. Darton r ji had been in the Lands and Survey De-|§}» partment and was transferred to Gisborne some 35 years ago. He was receiver of'ffi land revenue in Gisborne when he de- '% cided to resign. For several years he ;:ff suffered iy-health. After his discharge i'Jf from war service ho entered the employ of the borough council as assistant ,;|f engineer, and in 1930 succeeded Mr. A. § Young as engineer. He was a member of the Gisborne Borough Council from 1906 to 1911. | -—— MRS. MARY A. BLOXHAM 1 The death has occurred at her residence,ifl Mountain Road, Mount Albert, of Mrs. Mary Ann Bloxhani, wife of Mr. Henry jf Bloxham, in her 80th year. Born in England, Mrs. Bloxham came to New Zealand in the ship Dunfillan in 1874,' arriving at Port Chalmers, where she was married. After living in Dunedin for about 15 years the family came to Auckland and later settled in Herekino, where there were only one or two. other European families, One of Mrs. Bloxham'a daughters, now Mrs. S. Turk, of Sydney, was the first white child born at Herekino. About 25 years ago Mr. and Mrs. Bloxham returned to Auckland, taking up residence in Mount Albert. Mrs. Bloxham ia survived by six daughters and three sons. They are Mesdames F. Smith, A, E. Payne, W. Twidle, J, Rutledge and H. Foley, all of Auckland; Mrs. S. Turk, of Sydney; and Mr. H. J. Bloxham, of Gisborne ; Mr. I'. Bloxham, of Te Awamutu, and Mr. F.' Bloxham, of Pukekohe. Another son was killed in the Great War. There are 39 grandchildren and 30 greatgrandchildren, MRS, JANE WALLACE \ - [from our own correspondent] PUKEKOHE. Monday < The death has occurred at Pukekohe of Mrs. Jane Wallace, a pioneer of Dunedin, and a resident of New Zealand for 76 years. She was the widow of the late Mr. W. G. Wallace, formerly of Clevedon, and was 81 years old. Mrs. Wallace came to New Zealand from Caithness, Scotland, when a child with her parents,, thi late Mr. ?nd Mrs. W. Niehol, of Taien7 near Dunedin. Mrs. Wallace remembered the infant city when tussock covered what is now the major portion of the business area. She married in 1875 and resided at Mangapua, Taieri, where Mr. Wallace was schoolmaster. Later, Mr. Wallace joined the Presbyterian ministry and wag in charge of the church at Dannevirke for several years. On retiring, he came to Auckland, later residing at Clevedon, where he died in 1909. In recent years Mrs. Wallace had resided with her daughter, Mrs. R. L. Seed, of Pukekohe. She is survived by her son, Mr. J. Wallace, of Matamata, aud Mrs. Seed. There are six grandchildren. Two brothers and . two sisters are still living in Otago.

MRS, ELIZABETH KEITH [FBOM Oim OWN CORRESPONDENT] PUKEKOHE, Monday

The death has occurred of Mrs. Elizabeth Keith, aged 58 years, wife of. Mr. J. Hodgson Keith, of Pukekohe, who is well known- as representative of Northern Waikato clubs on the-Auckland Bowling ' Centre. Mrs. Keith was born at Pukekohe and was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Sproul, early settlers of the district. She married Mr. Keith 34 years ago, and both have been closely associated with the progress of the Pukekohe district. Mrs. -Keith was a promin- ■ ent worker in connection with the Winter Show held by the Franklin-Agricultural and Pastoral Society many years ago, and in patriotic activities daring the war. She had been a member of the Pukekohe Croquet Club since,its inception. She is survived by. her husband, one son and one daughter. MR. W. R. BOOTH [BY telegraph—own, correspondent] HAMILTON, Monday The death occurred at Hamilton to-day of Mr. William Robert Booth, aged *7l years. Mr, Booth, who was born in County .Tyrone, Ireland, came to New Zealand 50 ; years ago and he had lived in the Waikato throughout that period. He was a partner in the contracting firm of Livingstone and Booth, which built the railway between Morrinsville and Te Aroha and constructed, many of the first drainage works carried out in the Morrinsville, Waitoa, Cambridge and Hamilton districts. Mr. Booth had been farming at Te , Rapa for many years and was formerly a . breeder of racehorses and pedigree Jersey cows. He was a member of the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Ha married Miss Isabella RothwelJ, who survives him, soon after his arrival in the Dominioq., An only daughter died some years ago. , MRS. ANNIE McYICAR [from our own correspondent] CAMBRIDGE, Monday The death occurred yesterday morning of another Cambridge pioneer, Mrs. || Annie McVicar, aged 71 years. She came to New Zealand 50 years ago and with the exception of a few years at Blen- | heim and Auckland, had lived in the Cambridge district since. She was born in Devonshire, and was married to Mr. McVicar 39 years ago. She i« survived,, by her husband, one son and one daugh« ter. •. . $§