OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 29

OBITUARY.

DR JEX-BLAKE. LONDON, January 9. Thg death of Dr Sophia - Jex-Blake, Dean of the School of Medicine for Women at Edinburgh, is announced.

Dr Jex-Blake was born in January, 1840, and from 1858 till 1861 she was mathematical tutor at Queen's College, London. ■She afterwards travelled on the Continent Oiini in America, in connection with the education of girls, and in ie66 she began to study medicine in iicston under Dr Lucy Sewell. She returned to England in 1868, and in the following year matriculated in thio medical faculty of the Univerflity of Edinburgh. As she was not allowed to complete her studios and take her degree r>he and other.s brought an action against ihe University in 1872. The action was practically gained before Lord Ordinary Gifford, but, on an appeal, the decision was reversed by a bare majority of the whole Court of Session in 1873. In 1874 Miss Jex-Blake left Edinburgh and founded the London Sohool of Medicine for Women, but in 1878 she returned to Edinburgh, where she opened a dirpensa.rv for women and children. In 1885 she opened a cottage hospital, and an 1886 e':e founded the JMinburgh SchooL of Medicine for Women, which the University of Edinburgh recognised for raduation in 1£94. Dr Jex-Blake retired from practice in 1899, and returned to her native county, Sussex.

MAJOR-GENERAL MAURICE. LONDON, January 13. The death has occurred of Majorgeneral Sir Frederick Maurice. Major-general Sir John Maurice, K C B was born at London in 1841. He was educated; at College and Woolwich Academy. He was commissioned to the -. r A r . tlU ' e '? in 1861 > and passed the Staff College' in 1870. Ho was private secretary to Sir Garnet Wolseley in the Aehanti campaign in 1873-74, and was present at Abrakampa, Amoaful, Becquat, Oida.hu, and Coomafsie. He was also in the Zulu campaign in 1880. He took part in the pursuit of the Zulu king, and was severely wounded in the operations against Sekukuni. He was afterwards connected with the Intelligence Department, and was in the Soudan in 1884. He w.-.s many times mentioned in despatches, and received many decorations. Ho was professor of military history in the Staff" College, and was stationed at Aldershot in 1892-93. He -was in command of the R.A. at Colchester in 1893-95, was promoted to major-treneral in 1895, and was in command at Woolwich in 1895. He was the author of many books on military subjects.

MR JOHN POPE. SYDNEY. January 14

. The death is reported of Mr John Pope (principal of the firm of Farmer and Co., drapers), a leading merchant and philanthropist. Mr Pope, who was a native of Ohosham, England, was born in 1827. He arrived in Australia in 1852. Among the positions ho occupied was chairman of the National Mutual Life Association, director of the Mercantile Mutual Fire Insuiaro Company, chairman of the Sydney Hydraulic Power Company, and of the Sydney Hospital.

MR HUGH POLLEN. WELLINGTON. January 12

The death of Mr Hugh Pollen, secretary to the Department of Internal Affairs and Clerk of Writs, took place last night. He was a son of the late Hon. Dr Pollen, M.L.C.. who was Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1875-76.

Sir Joseph Ward to-day sent the following memorandum to all heads of departments : —" It is with deep regret that T have to advise officers of the public ser vice of the death last evening of Mr Hugh Pollen, Undcr-secretary for Internal Affaire. The deceased gentleman during a long period of years filled his respon sible position with conspicuous zeal and ability, and in his demise the people of the Dominion have lost a devoted ser vant, and the Government and public

service a most exemplary officer. I havf co.iveyed to Mrs Pollen and Lfic family tin sincere sympathy of the Government in the deep bereavement which has befallen them."

In a personal tribute to Mr {/oUen, the Prime Minister, speaking to a Post reporter to-day, said : —" 1 have known Mr Pollen personally for nearly 25 years, and for a considerable period 1 wag Minister in charge of the department of which he was the head. Throughout the whole of that time Mr Pollen had a great deal to do with public matters that have been brought before me. I desire to acknowledge the high qualities he possessed for carrying out the affairs of the important branch of the civil service of which he was the head. Its operations are amonget the most varied in the service, and I can say that a more careful, painstaking, and conscientious man one could not wish to meet. At all times he was most courteous, careful, and judicious, and was entirely without fads. In the transaction of the business of the department he brought to bear an extensive fund of information, which gave the Minister in charge the greatest possible confidence. Looking back over matters that came before me in his department, I cannot recall one that resulted in any trouble or difficulty. That demonstrates in a most practical way the extreme care the late Mr Pollen took at all times in the work of his department. I heard of hi 6 death this morning with the deepest regret. Hi? death was a loss to the public service, and consequently to the country."

The deceased gentleman \vr& .a son of the lato Dr Pollen, of Auckland, who was Go\j£rnment Resident at Auckland in the old days when (says the Post) New Zealand wsus a Crown colony, and who afterwards occupied the position of Premier. The. late Mr Pollen was educated at the Church of England Grammar Schcol, which was estabrehed in Auckland by the late Bishop of Lichfield (at thst time Bishop Selwyn of New Zealand). , The deceased schoolfellows residing in Wellington to-day are:—Messrs H. D. Pell, K.C., James Coatrs (general manager of the National Bank of New Zealand)," G. Davis (Karori). and J. F. Ar-drew? (secretary to Cabinet and clerk of the Executive Council). The deceased entered the civil service at an early age. nnd for many years served under the late Mr George Sisson Cooper, who was Secretary for the Colony in those days. He encceeded the lato Mr Cooper many years ago as secretary to the Colonial Secretary's Department (now called the Department of Internal Affairs). He was a man of retiring disposition, but was endowed with a- remarkable fund of information, and was universally regarded as a mest. obliging and painstaking efficr. Indeed, no man in the civil service was more geneiallv respected. Deceased was a cousin of Dr Pollen, of Wellington.