IN MEMORIAM.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4576, 1 February 1902, Page 7

IN MEMORIAM.

THE LATE A. W. HEX ALL. [Contributed.] Mr A. W. Renall, of Masterton. who iias jursb passed away, was one of the foundation builders of the Wellington province. In several respects he was a conspicuous example of the highly practical men, who, moved by that spirit of unrest that characterises the AngloSaxon, strike , out vigorously for themselves, and drag others after them. His career is notable from the fact that around it was woven a wealth of political associations dating from the dawn of colonisation in this part of the world, A man who was familiar with the late Edward Gibbon Wakefield, Dr Featherston, Sir George Grey, Fitzherbert and their contemporaries; who had filled at different times almost every variety of position known to public life; who took a keen interest in local as well as general politics, could not fail to leave behind him an interesting record. In the Parliamentary Library, among the portrait groups of members of 1800 and 1861, when the representatives of the people used to sit in Auckland, may be seen a fine, healthy, pleasant-look-ing face that might readily be pronounced that of a newly-arrived British farmer. Mr Renall, for it is his photograph, was at that time first representative of the Hutt, and in the heyday of health. He had graduated for Parliamentary honours as an active member of the Provincial Council. There ho sat in the troublous days of the Maori campaign, when the Council was so poor that the members would have sold their grandmothers sooner than face their obligations, and the few tradesmen, for lack of more valuable material, had manufactured a currency of their own out of tin lead and pewter. Besides occupying a prominent place in the Provincial Council, Mr Renall was for a number of years the Parliamentary representative of his district. “Old Wellington” was a favourite theme with Mr Renall. Although latterly his memory had failed him, a few years ago he was simply brimful _ of anecdotes. Besides the stories relating to Dr Knox, Mr Pharazyn, Mr Robert Wyatt—still a fine, old vigorous rowdent—the late Mr J. Martin, M.L.C., and others, he had a fund of original stories. His audiences screamed as he told them of the whalers from the Ngahauranga beach that were caught by the whale they expected to capture, were swallowed up like Jonah, and then, after a trip to the Hoads, dug their oars through the whale, and rowed themselves back on the beach ! Nor were they less tickled when he told them of his own exploits at the \\ aiwetu, when, from the hunk where lie lay in his whare, he fished with his big toes, and in the morning cooked for breakfast the eels that he caught overnight. He could tell of the days more than half a century ago, when Britannia, the forerunner of Wellington, was built on the sands at Petone. He had a carpenter's shop, and helped to build the small fleet of homo-mado crafts that used to trade with sawn timber, potatoes, pork, poultry and other produce between the Hutt river and Lambton quay. , , Mr Renall had always a friendly work for the Maoris. He understood their habits and disposition, and knew a little of their tongue. ' He styled lumselt “Undertaker for the Black Brigade because he made the coffins and buried tlicui in orthodox Christian style. During the period when general alarm prevailed because of the Maori rising, and stockades wore built in various parts ot the district, Mr Renall exercised ins authority in a way that proved extremely advantageous, for it was largely duo to his tact —assuring the natives on the one hand that they would not be molested if they kept quiet, and on the other hand removing the fears and checkmating the military ardour of the white population—that throughout the WMrarapa peace was maintained. For these splendid services he received the munificent sum of £lO. The great earthquake of 1855 he remembered vividly. It happened on Anniversary Day—January 22 nd—and this being a holiday, the Provincial Council, which was in session at the time, had a fortunate escape. The floor of the upstairs room that constituted the council hall tollapsed, and had members been present, they must have descended with the ruins. Mr Renall used to tell how the shaking up of the harbour gave the swamps of the Hutt a lift equal to a drainage scheme, and made the fortunes of a contractor. This was the individual who was engaged in reclaiming and forming the celebrated Wellingtou-Hutt road, over the maintenance of which the city and surrounding municipalities are now at loggerheads. The quakes ' lifted the beach and the road about three feet above their former level, leaving a fine, dry foreshore. The contractor was thus relieved of his reclamation difficulties. Something worse than an earthquake was required to send many of the community of the Hutt flying up country. In 1858 a memorable flood occurred. The Hutt river overflowed its banks, the valley was submerged; huge trees, culverts and bridges were swept along by the raging current; from hill to hill across the valley swept a torrent, engulphed everything, carrying the newlyploughed soil before it; houses and their inmates were carried away, and altogether fourteen settlers lost their lives. Mr Renall was among the sufferers. In 1850 he found Mr Charles Maybe wrestling desperately and hopelessly with a watermill at the Taita. Mr Renall took the puzzle over, made a success of it, and a few years later was grinding wheat and political reform in company. The flood capsized his flour mill and started him and several of his fellow-settlers on the lookout for something less exciting than floods and earthquakes. Sir George Grey, then in supreme power, was asked to lay out some laud for settlement in the valley of the Wairarapa. This he did, with ‘ the result that Masterton and Greytown blossomed into existence. Something resembling a leap in the dark had to he made. ’ The Rimutaka had to he scaled, and beyond it rivers, ravines and a dense forest had to bo faced. Mr Renall and a sturdy band of pioneers were equal to the task. Masterton .and Greytown were surveyed and laid out as small farm .settlements. These were composed of forty acre farms with a township in the centre of acre allotments. The price was ten shillings an aero and £1 for the town lot, each selector of a rural section being entitled to one township acre. The leaders and pioneers of this colonising movement, besides Mr Renall, were Mr H. H. Jackson, of Stonestead, near Greytown—now the only sur-vivor—-and the lato Messrs O. R. Carter, J. Masters and Allen. Some of the townships boar their names. The history and growth of the settlements is too long a subject for this sketch. When the towns were settled a few acres wore left over, and these being placed at the disposal of the pioneers named, were made an endowment to the people for all time. The Masterton Trust Lands Trust is now producing a revenue of about £IOOO a year, and the money is devoted to a variety of very useful purposes. Mr Renall’s last public aot

was to lay the foundation of the Town Hall at Mastcrton, one of the finest edifices of its kind in this part of the colony, built entirely with the Trust funds. The Mastorton Park, tlio Public Free Reading Room and Library, the Institute, the Technical School, and other institutions owe their existence and maintenance largely to this valuable endowment. Our primary schools as well aro indebted for many advantages to tlio contributions from the Trust funds. For many years Mr Renali carried on business as a flourmiller. The motive power was supplied by a 24 h.p. waterwheel, supplied by a lead from the Waipoua River. A number of years ago, when a war scare occurred and business people threatened to raise the price of hroadstuffs, Mr Renal! announced that his flour would be supplied at tlio old rate. Nearly six years ago his strength completely broke down, and for tlio last two years he has been bed-riddon. He leaves a widow and a numerous body of descendants —children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.