PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 51

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Private advice received by cable at Hokitika conveyed the news of the death in south Africa on April 24 of Mr Stanley Narthcroft eldest son of Mr Leo Northcroft, of South Africa, and formerly proprietor of the West Coast Times. The deceased, who was bom in Hokitika, was 42 °f a g e , and went to South Africa wl * " 1 9 . parents some 20 years ago. dnv at Timaru on Satur--07 r Lillie Gillies, manager of the Westport Coal Company and deputyof the Timaru High Schools’ M? thc , af \ e ,°f 57 years. The late ’ wh o held the rank of captain m the Timaru City Rifle Volunteers, was born at Milton and is a son of the late ■Mr J. L. Gillies, first secretary of the “arbour Board. He was educated A 0 ota g° Epysf High School, and entered the service of the Westport Coal Company m Dunedin in 1881, being promoted to the management of the companvs limam branch in 1897, a position he held up to the time of his- death. He IRBQ ed the .Hnnedin Highland Rifles in T 9 ’. was elected lieutenant in 1890, and obtained his captaincy a year later. On leaving Dunedin he was placed on the reserve fist as captain, but was induced to join the limaru Rifles as lieutenant, and *7°. re foment of Captain Jackson of the City Rifles (old C Battery of Artillery), be accepted the command of that corps, his commission being ante-dated by permission. J A M n J i i M ,I N ‘^ lso ?, the popular rector of the Baldutha District High School for the past sax and a-half years, was tendered a farewell at the school on Friday, 28th ult. on the eve of his departure to "take up the headmastership of the Mornington School Dunedin. There was a large gathering including about 500 children. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr G. W. Wood) in expressing regret at the«departure of Mr Nicolson, said the latter and Mrs Nicolson had Been citizens of exceptional standing and were held in high esteem by all. The examination results in the school under Mr Niooison’s rectorship had been excellent, and' each year was better than the previous one, and his successor would have a “hard row to hoe” to keep up the splendid standard set by Mr Nicolson. Mr Howard, on behalf of the children and staff, presented Mr Nicolson with a wellfilled wallet, and said it only slightly expressed the high esteem in which they held him. The departing rector was also the recipient of a handsome gold-mounted fountain pen from the School Committee. Mr Malcolm, M.P., referred to the splendid work done and the splendid results achieved by Mr Nicolson. Mr Simson (Mayor) expressed the regret of the citizens at his departure; and Inspector Bain said the opinion of the inspectors was expressed in their annual reports. Mr Nicolson returned thanks, remarking that his term in Balclutha had been the happiest of his teaching career. Mr and Mrs Nicolson left yesterday (Monday) for Mornington, where Mr Nicolson will begin his duties on Thursday. Mrs Amelia -Spurgeon (an aunt of the late Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, the well-known Baptist preacher) died recently in the 103rd year of her age. She lived for many years at Anerley, but for the past year was practically an invalid. Born in the same year as Queen Victoria, Mrs Spurgeon spent much of her earlier lif§ in the country districts of Sussex, and was in receipt of a small pension from the Agricultural Benevolent Institution. It is the Governor-General’s intention to spend several days’ fishing at Tokaanu prior to his return to Auckland. During her visit to the Waikato district Lady Jellicoe will spend two days’ hunting. A cablegram from London states that Viscountess Rhondda has obtained a decree for the restitution of conjugal rights against her husband. Sir Humphrey Maokworth. A Napier Press Association telegram announces the death of Air John Griffin, con tractor, aged 74 years. He built the Napier Marine Parade wall and the Hobson Bay (Auckland) sewer system. The death took place at Cashmere (Christchurch) on tlie Ist of an old colonist, Mrs Delia O’Grady, at the age of 83 years. She was a native of Galway, Ireland, and arrived at Dunedin with her husband, the late Maiaehi O’Grady, in 1864. They resided for 50 years in Milton, and later moved to near Oamaru, and then to Christchurch. The Ven. Archdeacon Curzon-Siggers, M.A., . has resigned the charge of St. Matthew’s Parish as from July 31, bv which time he will have completed Zb years of ministry there. As the church has been opened 471 years, ho has outserved his six predecessors by four and a-half years. 'The archdeacon will retain his canonry at St. Paul’s Cathedral and the archdeacor ’-v of Invercargill. The Board of Nomination will meet soon after the return of the Bishop from General Synod for the election of a vicar. Mr James M. Power, on the eve of his departure from the employ of Sargood, Son, and Ewen (Ltd.), to take up farming pursuits, was presented with a gold engraved watch from the Dunedin and Invercargill staff's as a memento of their esteem and of their long and friendly association with him. Air Power’s services with the company extend t-o close on 40 years, during 27 of which he was country representative in Otago and Southland. He was also the recipient of a substantial cheque from the Board of Directors, with a letter expressing their high appreciation of his services. A farewell social was held in the Berwick Hall recently in honour of Air Dabourne, who has temporarily filled tlie South Taieri Church vacancy for the past five months and has accepted a call to \\ averley. The chair was occupied by Mr Munro, senior elder of the parish, who spoke in glowing terms of Mr Daboume’s ministry and regretted that he was leaving the district. A varied programme of songs, recitations .and violin selections was rendered, and during the evening Air Munro, on behalf of the Berwick congregation, presented Mr Dabourne with three valuable books which would aid him greatly in his ministerial work. Air Dabourne expressed his gratification at learning that his services had been so much appreciated and hoped that the improvement in attendance and interest in church work which had been effected during his term of office would be maintained. Mr Fraser also spoke in complimentary terms of Air Dabourne’s work. Mr D. Colquhoun, the Board of Trade’s representative in Dunedin, has received, notice of his transfer to Wellington. In announcing his corning departure at a meeting of the executive of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association last. week. Mr Colquhoun said it had been a great pleasure

to him to be associated with the present and past executives in the work of the association. No doubt they had made mistakes, but he had been impressed by the enthusiasm and sincerity of the members in their efforts on behalf of returned men The president (Colonel Al‘Donald) expressed the association’s sorrow at losing such an able and invaluable member as Mr Colquhoun, and extended to him their hearty good wishes wherever he might go Mr Colquhoun expects to leave Dunedin in a fortnight on transfer to another Government Department. A Press Association cable message from London announces that Lord Balfour’s title w ! , t>R E. arl of Balfour. The second title Till h?, Visccimt Tiaprain of Whittinghame. A A s father was James Maitland Balfour of Whittinghame, which 13 f rv 311 ? 3, a few aiilcs to the west of Dunbar Traprain Taw lies two miles 4°, the north of Whittinghame. The death took place at Lawrence reC ? n ii y 'J John Donaldson, at the age fan li .n Donaldson was born at Fetlar (Shetland), and was a sailor till about 25 years of age, when he settled down in New Zealand as a miner. He worked on Gardiner s diggings at Beaumont, and in later y ea^? r followed the dredging in Otago, qualifying as master, and having charge in turn of the Happy A alley, Wetherstones, Waipori, and Tuapeka Flat dredges; then taking a turn on the West Coast, afterwards returning to work Adams’s dredge at Waitahuna. A Press Association telegram from Napier says that Mr J. H. Scott, A.1.E.E., of Dunedin, was last week appointed borough electrical engineer for Hastings. The Tablet reports the recerot of a cable message stating that the V ery* Rev. Father C/offey has been appointed a domestic nr&* late by the Pope. Dr P. Marshall, who has severed his connection with the Wanganui Collegiate {School was presented by the boys with a set of handsome silver vases, engraved with the school coat of arms. A Sydney Press Association cable message announces the death of the Rev. Chau. Bice, a Melanesian who was tor many years secretary of the Australian Board of Alissions. His wife was a daughter of Archdeacon Maunsell, the Maori scholar. She died in 1920. Miss Phillis Isabella Wilkin, whose death occurred at Christchurch on Wednesday, was the daughter of the late Mr J. T. W. Wilkin, who arrived in Lyttelton in March", 1851, and was subsequently postmaster at Lyttelton. Aliss Wilkin was born in 1855, and was a sister of the late Mr J. 0. Wilkin, who was manager of the Lyttelton Times Company tor many years. On the death of her parents a number of years ago, Aliss Wilkin became postmistress at St Albans, when the office was first opened. She held the position tor 11 years. A New York Press Association cable message states that Field Alarshal French has arrived on a vacation. A Lop don cablegram reports the deaths, of the Right Hon. W. Abraham (known as “Mabon”), who was born in 1842. He was the son of a working miner, and was educated at the Carnarvon National School, • afterwards taking a keen interest in the work of the Aliners’ Union, and being the first member of that occupation to occupy a seat in the House of Commons. He represented mining constituencies in Glamorganshire from 1885 to 1920, and in 1911 was called to a seat Tn the Privy Council.