TAWA FLAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 772, 17 December 1886, Page 20

TAWA FLAT.

(from our own correspondent.) December 13.

The funeral procession of the late Mrs William Jones started for the cemetery at Pahautanui at 2 p.m. on Sunday last. The funeral was one of the largest ever assembled in this district, owing no doubt to the very deep respect she was held in by all who knew her. One most noticeable feature wa3 that a great many of those assembled were of the very earliest settlers, the deceased being one of the first batch of immigrants to arrive in Wellington by the ship Aurora. Mrs Jones claimed to be the first white woman to land on the shores of Wellington, and of the justice of this claim there cannot be the least doubt, as the deceased for this purpose sprang out of the boat which was bringing them to the shore into the water whilst it was knee deep. At this time she was quite a young woman, and came out to Wellington with father and .mother and brothers and sisters. They will be better known by the old identities, as their names were Mr and Mrs Barrow and family. Some time after their arrival they settled m this district, and carried on farming. Ihe father and mother of the deceased have long since passed away. The deceased wasmarried some forty-six years ago to Mr William Jones, who had arrived in Wellington some time previous to the arrival of the ship Aurora, in the American whaling ship Tnston of Warren, and during their marriage they have reared a very large family, who are all married and well to do. Ihe pall-bearers were chosen from some of the oldest settlera, viz., Messrs Boulton, Stace, -Wall, and Harris. It is most noticeable that Mr Jones, although upward of 60 years old, is still very hale and hearty, but bis bereavement is a very severe one, and must be very hard to bear. His family, however, who are close to him, will now be found to be a comfort.