OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 37

OBITUARY.

The death of Captain William Gifford recently at the age of 88 severs a link with the early history of Bluff s and the South Island. Captain Gifford was born at Bressay, in the Shetland Islands, in 1840, and at the age of 12 he shipped on board a Greenland whaler, making three voyages to the Arctic regions. Later he joined the Mercantile Marine, and came to Australia in 1859. . He took part in the gold rushes at Bendigo and Ballarat, and hearing of the discoveries at Gabriel’s Gully he came to New Zealand. From Port Chalmers he joined in the Gabriel’s Gully, Fox’s Creek, and Skippers rushes but met with little success. After returning to Australia and then to the Homeland he came to Bluff, where he joined the pilot service-. in 1874, continuing in that department until he was 72 years of age. In 1911 he was transferred to the signalling branch of the Bluff Harbour Board, retiring nine months ago after 53 years’ continuous service. It was his proud beast that in all his years at Bluff he never., once scraped the paint of a ship’s side in berthing. There passed away at the residence of his son, Mr Percy Perkins, of Westport, oh March 24. Mr .George Charles Perkins, one of Westport’s earliest pioneers. Born at Clapham Common, England. ■ 92 years -ago, Mr Perkins came to New Zealand when 30 years of age, and had lived in Westport for 60 years. He was the last survivor of the old batch of pioneers of Reuben Waite’s time. He had been a member of the Howard Lodge of Oddfellows since 1866, and was the oldest member in New Zealand. Cabled advice has been received of tho deaht at Bordighera, Italy, of Mr George Turner Seymour, a well-known Marlborough pastoralist, who, accompanied by his wife, left last June on an extended tour of Europe. Mr Seymour’s health hafl been very bad for a long time (says a Press Association message from Blenheim',. The deceased was 66 years of age, and was the e'dest son of Mr A. P Seymour, a former Superintendent of the Marlborough Province' and a member of Parliament. He devoted himself tc pastoral pursuits and took no part in political life. He was a notod athlete and will be remembered among old rowers as stroke of the famous Seymour fours. Mr Seymour is survived bv" his widow and three brothers —Messrs Walter Sevmcur (Havelock). Arthur Seymour (Ngakura, Queen Charlotte Sounds), and F. G. Seymour (Woodville', and by two sisters—Mrs G. B. Richardson and Miss Seymour (Pictcn). Mrs Seymour is pro vincial commissioner in the Girl Guides movement.

The late Mr John Tyson, whose death occurred at his residence, Musselburgh, last week, was very well known and highly esteemed in Otago, in various parts of which he resided for 66 years. Mr Tyson was born in Cumberland in 1848, and came to Victoria with his parents as a boy. He arrived in Dunedin by the Omeo in January, 1862, with his father and brother Dick. He was engaged in carting to the early goldfields—Gabriel’s Gully, Dunstan, Greenstone, etc.—and had many interesting stories to relate about those good old times His. father afterwards took over the Noah’s Ark stables in Dunedin. Mr Tyson then became engaged in sawmilling at Ttiapeka Mouth and rafting to Balclutha. After the completion of the Balclutha bridge he went to the North Island under a sawmilling engagement for Messrs Proudfoot and M‘Kay. For a good many years he had a sawmill at Black Cleugh, Rongahere, but as timber was selling as low as 6s fid per 100 ft there was nothing to be made at that. Mr Tyson was one of the best known men of his day, being a keen sport and a genial and kind-hearted tnan. He was a wellknown figure at the Caledonian gatherings, and was the unbeaten Australian and ’ New Zealand champion wrestler, beating Robinson, the Maori, and Thomas, the Australian, in 1877, 1878, and 1879, and winning the champion belt and trophies, which he looked on with pride till the end. He was one of the real old pioneers, and had extensive experience in mining, bridge building, and roadmaking. For about the last 20 years he carried on a coal and wood merchant s business in this city, and retired a year ago owing to failing’health. He was married to Miss Jessie Chalmers in 1881, and had a family of of whom, four sons and three daughters—are still living. His eldest son (William) is assistnat manager of the Junction Tin mines in Northern Nigeria.

Mrs T. P. Wilson, nee Mary Shields, who died at Invercargill some weeks ago in her seventv-ninth year, may well be called one of the old identities of Otago. Her parents came to Otago in the ship Blundell in 1848. and for some time settled in Dunedin, where Mrs Wilson was born in 1849. The family afterwards removed to Puerua, Clutha, where most of Mrs Wilson’s life was spent. Later she resided in Owaka, Mandeville, and Gore. She was of a bright and cheerful disposition, and was respected by all who knew her. Her husband died a good many <ipjo. A- nuinber of sods and. claugli* ters survive her.

One of the world’s best hurdlers in his time, Mr William Hurst Martin, was laid, to rest yesterday at St. Luke’s cemetery. Mr Martin, who was in the prime of life, passed away suddenly at his farm at East Tamaki on Thursday. He was a son of the late Mr William Hurst Martin, and was born in Mount Albert district. In 1896 he won the 120yds and 440yds Australian and New Zealand hurdling championships, and in 1895-6 he was champion of New Zealand. Mr George Bullock Douglas, editor of the Wanganui Chronicle, and formerly of the Wanganui Herald and the Auckland Star, died on Saturday morning (states a Wanganui telegram). He was a South African war veteran, and was prominent in Masonic circles, of which he was a master. In the early days he represented Wanganui at Rugby football.