PERSONALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7970, 29 November 1911, Page 6

PERSONALIA

Miss Cax-ter, -assistant mistress at Petoue West school, was yesterday granted by the Education Board nine months' leave of absence.

Sir Robert Stout will present the Royal Humane Society's medal to Cecil Ellison, for saving a hoy from drowning in the harbour, at the Missions to Seamen, this evening.

Sir John Kirk, of ragged school fame, who arrived at Invercargill from Melbourne on Monday-, was welcomed by tlie citizens yesterday. He leaves for the north to-morrow (says a Press Association message from Invercargill). The Wellington Education Board yesterday received the resignations of the following teachers: —Miss G. Bonghurst, Kilbirnie; Mr A. W. Rose, Kopuarauga; Miss V, Ham, Marima; Miss H. Taylor, Mitchelltown; Miss O'Sullivan, Mount Cook Infants’; Miss M. Nicholls, Newtown; Miss A. Thornton, Kilbirnio; Mr W. Gray, principal. Training College. Sir James Carroll yesterday received over* three hundred telegrams from all parts of tho Dominion congratulating him on his unopposed return to Parliament (says a Press Association telegram from Gisborne). A largely-attended meeting of natives also met tho Minister this morning and congratulated him on tho honour to himself and to the Dominion by his knighthood. Tlie Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) leaves Daamevirke at 8 o’clock this morning for Palmerston North, and will motor thenco to .Shannon, w-Jiero ho will open tho near post office at 12.30, and catch the 2 i).in. train for Levin. While there ho will open the new Coronation Library, and tho horticultural show at 2.15. Wellington will be reached at 6.22 p.m., and Sir Joseph will go south the same evening, travelling direct to Gore, whore he is to speak to-morrow night. On Friday ho will speak in. turn at Kaitangata, Lawrence and Milton.

Mr Thomas Kennedy MoTavish, "who passed away lost week at Kuaotunu, aged seventy-seven, in his younger days joined the Cunard line, and the steamer ho was in having boon chartered to carry troops to the Crimea, he was in Sebastopol nine days after it was taken. Subsequently he joined the ship Franklin, bound troui' New York to Yokohama, and was wrecked on tho Chatham Islands. In company with the other survivors,' ho came on to Wellington. When tho Maori war broke out, deceased (says the ‘'‘’Auckland Star”) joined the 2nd Waikato Regiment, and was present at the battle of Orakau. Ho had tho Ne\y Zealand war modal.

The resignation by Mr William Gray, M.A., of his position as principal of the Wellington Teachers" Training College was specially referred to at tho Education Board mooting yesterday. On the motion of tho chairman, Mr E. Leo, seconded by Mr W. Allan, the following motion was passed:—“The Wellington Education Board, the: controlling authority in tho administration of the Wellington Training College for Teachers, accepts with regret the resignation of the principal, Mr William Gray, M.A., who in five years' faithful service has organised the comparatively new institution, and has year by year improved in a marked degree its efficiency, tone, and general usefulness. In taking up the duties of a more remunerative appointment in Melbourne, Victoria, Mr Gray will carry with him the good wishes of tho board for success in nis new sphere of work."

Yesterday afternoon tho funeral took place of C.-yptain G. S. Richardson’s late son Vernon, who died from injuries caused through being run over by a guncarriage on tho Hutt road on Saturday afternoon. Tho interment* was a military one and tho burial took place at the Sydney street cemetery- The Garrison Band headed tho cortege and there was a very largo muster of deceased's lato corps, tho D Battery, which was iu charge of Major Petherick, Capttin Rose, Lieutenants Mackenzie, McQuarrie and Janson. About fifty men of tho Royal New Zealand Artillery wore also on parade. Attached to 1> Battery was Lieutenant Erwun, of D Battery, Dunedin. A largo number of tho ofheers of the staff and garrison were present, including Colonel Robin, G. 8., Colonel Campbell, Lieutenant-Colonel Purdy. Major Hume, Major O’Snllivan, Major Hughes, D. 5.0., Major Courtney, and Captains Hume, Duignau, Maidlow, Sevan and Robinson. There was a largo assemblage also of relatives and friends of deceased’s parents. The Bev. J G Chapman, of Wesley Church, Taranaki street, officiated at tho graveside.

Mr Frederick John Tifien, a very old colonist, died at Waipukurau on Sunday last, aged eighty-three-years. Ho may (says the “ Hawke’s Bay Herald ’’> truly be described as one of Hawke's Bay’s pioneer settlers. He was born at Hythc, Kent, in IS2S, and came to New Zealand iu tho barque Louisa Campbell ■when seventeen, arriving in 'Wellington via Nelson. Mr Tiffon’s first task was to take 753 ewes to his brother’s station in the Wairarapa, tho journey of seventy i miles taking eighteen, days to complete. Mr Tifien managed Ahiaruhi and adjoining runs for three years, and then, in 1849, with the assistance of Mr Northwood and others, including half a dozen Maoris, drove 3000 sheep (the first introduced into Hawke’s Bay) to what is now Mosers Nairn Brothers’ Pourororo station. Tho only stations en route were Pahau and Caetlepoint. After living on Omakero portion of tho run for some years and reporting on tho feasibility of a road through the Forty Milo Bush (Mr Tifien, having walked to Wellington on a number of occasions, once to give evidence at tho trial for murder of William Good),' Mr Tjfion went to Australia, whore tho gold fever was raging. Ho joined a mounted patrol and did duty between Bathurst and Tnron. Within a year, how-ever, ho returned to Wellington, and walked to Homewood station, Patangata, and managed .it for his brother. Later on Mr Tifien was appointed registrar of brands under the Provincial Government, of Wellington, and held tho position for twelve years, during which period tho sheep in the district increased from 53,097 to 464,312. At tho same time Mr Tifien was manager of tho Gwavas and Milbonmo stations. In 1859 he acquired the Elmehill estate, which remained his proJOrty up to the time of his death. Mr Tiffcn married the second daughter of the lato Dr. Monteath, of Wellington, who predeceased him nearly twelve mouths ago, and by whom he had three daughters and four eons.