OBITUARY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 19

OBITUARY

DEATH OF MRS J. H. BETHUNE,

It is only a few weeks ago that Mr George Bethune, then bead of the firm of J. 11. Bethune and Co., died, after a trying illness, and it is only some* days since the receipt of news of tlie death in action of Captain Hector Bethune, a officer in Colonel Youngliusband’s column now operating in Thibet. The latter was a cousin of Messrs Walter and Hector Bethune, of this city. Now following those deaths comes the demise of Mrs J. H. Bethune, who died at her residence, “ Hawkhill,” Wellington terrace, at 3 a.in. on Thursday. The deceased lady had been in failing health for some time, and the recent death of her son, Mr George Bethune, preyed upon her mind considerably, resulting in a stroke of paralysis on Tuesday last. She never regained consciousness up to the time of her death. By the death of Mrs Bethune, . Wellington loses another of tlie rapidlythinning ranks, of the earliest settlers. She was the fifth daughter of Mr George Hunter, first Mayor of Wellington—and a partner of the late Mr J. 11. Bethune. Born near London in 1827, Mrs Bethune arrived in the colony by tlie ship Duke of Roxburgh in February, 1840, with her parents. So primitive were the conditions of life in those days that they brought out with them a house in sections, and it was erected in Petone. They next moved to a house in Upper Dixon street, on the site now occupied by Captain Moorhouse’s residence, and it was from there she was married, in March, 1857, Mrs Bethune had never been out of Wellington since her arrival. The decease! lady is survived by four sons—Messrs Hector, John Henry, Walter and Arthur Bethune. Mr Robert Hunter, of the firm of Bethune and Hunter,'agents for Lloyd’s in Wellington, is her brother. ■ JOHN HISLOP, LL.D. Mr John Hislop, father of the Hon. T. W. Hislop, of Wellington, died at 1 o’clock oil Thursday morning, at Dunedin, aged eighty-three years. The Otago Education Board yesterday, placed on record its deep sorro-w at the death of Mr Hislop, aud appreciation of the great services rendered by him to the cause of education in Otago in particular, and the colon3 r in general. The late Mr John Hislop, LL.D., F.R.S., Ed in., was born-on December 3rd, 1821, at- Pent-lands, near Edinburgh. He received his education at a private school of some note in Edinburgh, and afterwards attended the Edinburgh School of Arts, now known as 'the Heriot-Watt- College. He obtained first prizes in all his classes, and took the diploma of the institution. Having determined to become a teacher, he attended the Normal School and the Edinburgh University, where he took second place in his year. While holding a good position in Scotland, Mr Hislop waS induced in 1855, by the presence in Otago of some old friends, to accept a position there, and arrived at Port Chalmers by the ship Strathmore in October, 1856, and settled in East Taieri as teacher fit the newly-established school. His success there and greatability secured for him the appointment in 1861 of secretary to the Otago Board of Education and Inspector of Schools. While in that position he compiled sta. tistics, from which could be judged the development of the province, and shared with Mr St. John Branigan, then Commissioner of Police, the honour of starting the first industrial school in the colony, and lie retained the office of visitor to that institution up till two years ago. He initiated the District High School, and instituted the system under which a library was established at each school, when the Otago University College was established, he was appointed its first registrar, and drafted its regulations. Mr Hislop took a leading part in establishing night classes under the auspices of the Caledonian Society in Dunedin. These classes developed into the very successful technical classes which are still in existence. In 1871 he, at the request of Sir Julius Vogel’s Government-, drafted an Education Bill for the colony. The Bill was the outcome of a series of resolutions carried by the House of Representatives at the instance of the late Mi J. Richmond. The Hon. C. G. Bowen, when Minister for Education in 1877, drafted an Education Bill passages in. which were freely culled from Mi Hislop’s draft. This was passed by the House and at the same tune Mr Hislop was appointed Under-Secretary for Education. For a number of years Mr Hislop was Grand Master of Irtoinasoiis in New Zealand under the Scottish Constitution, hut resigned that position on leaving Dunedin for Wellington. He was appointed Secretary lor Education in 1878, and at the same time he was elected a Fellow of the .Royal Society of Edinburgh. He went Home on leave in 1882, and while in Scotland the Senate of Edinburgh University conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. He retired from office in 1886, and returned to Dunedin. Since then he had served that city as “City Councillor, member of the Otago Education Board, and in other capacities. In 1846 he married Miss Horn—daughter of an Indian officer—who died in July kst within three

weeks of her eighty-second birthday. He was father of a family of six, five of whom survive him.