DEATH IN 90TH YEAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23322, 15 April 1939, Page 14

DEATH IN 90TH YEAR

MR. R. C. TENNENT EARLY DAYS IN NEW ZEALAND AN INTERESTING CAREER The death in his 90th year, of Mr. Robert Collinge Tennent, at his residence, Woodville, ended a life closely associated with the early settlement and development of New Zealand. Born in Rio de Janiero in 1849, Mr. Tennent was educated at the Elizabethan College, Guernsey, Channel Islands, and, in company with his widowed mother, three brothers and two sisters, arrived in New Zealand by the sailing ship British Empire in 1864. Settling in Nelson, Mr. Robert Tennent there joined the Bank of New South Wales, of which he was a junior officer when the Maungatapu murders were committed. It was discovered alter the arrest of Burgess, Kelly and Sullivan, on suspicion, that preparations had been made'by them to rob the bank on the night of their arrest, their plan being to murder the resident clerk, Mr. Tennent, and plunder tho bank at their leisure.

Air. Tennent served tho bank over a period of 53 years, being manager at Nelson, Patea, Wangamii, Auckland. Timaru and luvercargill. Following his retirement he lived first for some years in Napier, and subsequently at Woodville. la. 1868 Mr. Tennent founded in Nelson the first Rugby football club in New Zealand, and in inter-provincial matches with Wellington represented the Nelson Province in both cricket and football. He also held the mile running championship of the province for three years, and almost to the end of his life was noted for his keen participation in long-distance walks, golf, bowls and other sports. In 1875 Mr. Tennent married Miss Emily Boor, eldest daughter of the late Dr. Leonard Boor, one of the most noted medical practitioners of early New Zealand, and of their 11 children four sons served in the Great War. Mr Tennent is survived bv. his wife, two daughters and five sons.