OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 25

OBITUARY.

A cable message from Hobart announces the death of Mr Edgar Ravenswood Waite, aged 62 years, formerly curator of the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch. A Brisbane message announces the death of Mr John Payne, a member of the Legislative Assembly. The deceased was one of the pioneers of the Labour movement in Queensland. . : A Hamilton telegram reports that the death occurred on Thursday of Constable John ' Moore Fleming, aged 52, who joined the police force .21 years ago. Prior to his death he was stationed at Arapuni. Mrs John Bollard, widow of Mr John Bollard, who. was a member of Parliament, died on Friday, aged 87 years (says our 'special correspondent in Auckland). Born in Ireland in 1840, Mrs Bollard came to New Zealand to join her parents. She married Mr John Bollard, M.P., in 1861, at Tarnaki, and then settled in Avondale in the house in which her death occurred. The whole of her life was spent in this house, and it was here, too. that 11 of her 14 children were reared, eight of whom are now living. Her last public function was in 1906, whim, in company with her son, the late Mr R. F. Bollard, she decorated the winner of the Derby. Following the success of her husband as member for Eden when that was a very large electorate, her son commenced a brilliant political career as member for Raglan, which later led to his appointment as a Minister of the Crown.

A message from Auckland announces the death of Mr A. W. O. Davies, aged 52, the New Zealand chess champion, and one of the most brilliant players New Zealand has known. Mr Davies came to New Zealand in 1902. Abojit 10 years ago he came to Dunedin, leaving here' two years ago to-take up his residence in Auckland. He learned the game of chess when he was a member of the London Polytechnic Club. He was champion of New Zealand on; four occa-sions—-at Oamaru in 1904-5. at Wellington in. 1907-8, at Auckland in 1926-27, and at. Christchurch in 1827-28. On four occasions lie Was runner-up, and he also won the championship of Auckland, Wcl-

lington, and Otago. During his residence in Dunedin he was a member of the Otago Chess Club, being a vice-president when he left. The last occasion on which he represented the club was during the Exhibition Congress in 1925. He leaves a widow and two children.

News of the death at his home in England on January 7 of Dr Henry George Hawkins Monk, former medical officer of health at Auckland, is contained in a cablegram. Dr Monk, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1862, was at one time medical officer of health at Leicester, and afterwards practised in South Africa, serving in the Boer War. He later came to New Zealand, and was engaged in private practice in Waiuku and Huntley, .He entered the Government service with the Health Department at Auckland in 1911, and two years later went as chief medical officer to Tonga, where he remained a year. As an officer of the Medical Corps during the war he was stationed at Avondale and Narrow ■Neck training camps, subsequently proceeding overseas with the reinforcements. On his return to Auckland he occupied the position of medical officer of health with Dr T. J. Hughes until May, 1920, when he wire transferred to a similar position at W anganui. He retired on superannuation, in June, 1924, and went to live in Devonshire, England. The death of Captain Horace Norgrove, of Papakura, occurred on Friday week. _ Born in Wellington in 1846, Captain' Norgrove spent the early part of his life in Marlborough, his parents moving to Blenheim, known as Beavertown, when it was a scattered group of wooden huts. He was one of the first volunteers in Blenheim, and, his imagination fired by the news of the Wairau massacres, he was greatly disappointed that he was not given the opportunity of serving in the Maori War. In the ’seventies Captain Norgrove built a schooner, the Amateur, at Picton, and, in partnership with his brothers, embarked on a private trading carrying cargoes between the coastal ports with the Amateur and another schooner, the Unity. He was also well known as the Government mail contractor ’or Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds. He retired in 1904 and came to Auckland, living in various parts of the province. He' married Miss Caroline Eliza Whiting at Wellington in 1873, and is survived by four daughters, one son, and two -randchildren.

There passed away in Dunedin in her eighty-sixth year, another of the old pioneers of Otago, in the person of Mrs Thomas White, of Merton. She arrived in New Zealand with her parents from Edinburgh in the ship Jura in 1858. In 1861 she maried her cousin, a shepherd at that time to Mr Thomas Jones, of Waikouaiti. After her marriage she lived at Kapuka Station, W’aikouaiti, where for a whole year she never met another woman. Later on, through the industry and perseverance of Mr and Mrs White, they were able to acquire a farm at Merton, which was then all bush land. There the greater part of her life was spent, and there also all her children but three were born. As time went on Mr and Mrs White increased their .property, until their farm was considered one of the best in the Merton district. Retiring from active life, they purchased a property at Palmerston South, where they lived for a few years, and later acquired a property at Waikouaiti, which Mr White gave to his wife, and at which he died eight years ago. After her husband’s death, a son lived with her until two years, ago, when she came to Dunedin to live with her daughter. Mrs White was of a quiet, retiring nature, but many and varied were the tales she could tell of the early settling days of Otago. For many years she was a member of the Early Settlers’ Association, and took , a keen interest in all its affairs. Amongst ho.' friends of the early days was Sir Thos. Mackenzie, who, while High Commissioner, always remembered to send her a Christmas greeting of heather. She had a family of nine sons and two daughters, all of whom, with the exception of one son and one daughter, survive her.