OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22174, 30 July 1935, Page 12

OBITUARY

MR. WILLIAM COOPER OLD AUCKLAND RESIDENT MEMORIES OF SAMOA An old colonist and resident of Samoa with a wide and interesting knowledge of tfie old customs of the natives, Mr. William Cooper, late of I'apatoetoe, died yesterday in his 84th year, Mr. Cooper was municipal magistrate in Apia for some years and witnessed the terrific storm which wrecked a number of warships, EE.M.S. Calliope being the only ship to escape. The vessel steamed out of Apia in the teeth of the storm. Mr. Coopor was the second son of Mr. Thcophilus Cooper and brother of Sir Thcophilus Cooper, one of the leadj ing barristers of Auckland about 1880 and afterwards a Judge of the Supreme Court. His family arrived in Auckland by the ship Gertrude in 1863, with the pioneers of the Albertland settlement. Mr. Cooper's father was the publisher of the Southern Cross, now incorporated in the New Zealand Herald. In early life Mr. Cooper was a cabinetmaker, and later was a teacher and a reporter on the Southern Cross. Then he studied law and became a barrister and solicitor. He was ap- ! pointed Judge of the Land Court of I Samoa, then under the joint occupation of Britain, America and Germany by. the .Berlin Treaty of 1889, and was absent from New Zealand for some | time. On his return he was law re- | porter to the Auckland Law Society, jHe was troubled with an affection of | his sight and was eventually compelled I to give up professional work, j At the time when Mr. Cooper was I resident in Samoa the natives retained | many of their old customs, especially j when hostilities broke out between j them. One of these was the practice iof head-cutting indicted by the vic- ! torious party on their defeated j antagonists. Later head-cutting was pro- | hibited by the Samoan Government I with the assent of King Malietoa. During his stay in Samoa Mr. Cooper was a frequent contributor to the local papers. Mr. Cooper was a man of remarkable intellectual powers and was a leading member of the St. James' Debating Society, which was looked upon as the literary cradle of many men afterward prominent in public life. There and elsewhere lie became known as the champion of unpopular causes. In his days of forced leisure Mr. Cooper was a frequent contributor to the correspondence columns of the Herald. He also developed a capacity for writing poetry, and various of his poems have Avon warm praise from judges of good literature. He is survived by one sou and one daughter. MR. 0. E. MOLESWORTH The death has occurred at Stanley Bay of an old New Zealand resident, Mr. Charles Edward Molesworth, in his 82nd year. Born at Gosport, Portsmouth, Mr. Molesworth came to New Zealand in 1875, joining the Armed Constabulary and serving with that body in various parts of the Dominion. He participated in the raid on the Parihaka Pa in 1881, when the chiefs Te Whiti and Pohu were arrested. Retiring from the constabulary on account of rheumatism, Mr. Molesworth settled at Nelson toward the end of last century and took up Jersey cattle breeding. He took a keen interest in local politics and was for many years a member of the Richmond Borough Council, Nelson. With his wife and daughter he came to Stanley Bay about 16 years ago and since had lived in retirement. Mr. Molesworth was a man of wide interests, making a particularly close study of cattle breeding problems and medical science during his lifetime. He also was a lover of nature and made many efforts to prevent the wanton destruction of native bush in country districts. He is survived by Mrs. Molesworth and one daughter. MR. HERBERT GARRISON Cabled advice has reached Auckland of the death in London of Mr. Herbert Garrison, secretary-general of the British-Israel World Federation, in his 78th year. Mr. Garrison, prior to becoming secretary of the federation, was well known throughout Great Britain as a lecturer on travel, geography, history and natural science, with particular reference to the British Empire. He was also for some years a commissioner of the Royal Colonial Institute, now the Royal Empire Society, of which and of the Royal Geographical Society he was a fellow. As a young man Mr. Garrison spent some years in New Zealand and Australia. During the premiership of the lit. Hon. R. J. Seddon he travelled the colony and countries overseas as a New Zealand publicity agent, showing a very fine series of scenic lantern slides. Later for many years he devoted himself to the extension of the BritishIsrael World Federation, and the rapid progress of the movement has been in a large measure due to his labours. He is survived by his wife. REV. JOHN HENRY ROGERS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] TIMARU. Monday The death occurred to-day of the Rev. John Henry Rogers, an Anglican clergyman, aged 91. Deceased, who was born in Bristol, came to New Zealand in 1902 and was stationed at . Sheffield, St. Alban's (Christchurch), Hinds, Timaru, Shirley (Christchurch), North-East Valley (Dunedin), St. Clair and Anderson's Bay. He came back to Timaru seven months ago, and continued in active work almost to the last.