OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 27

OBITUARY.

The death has occurred of Mr Harry Knowles, a very old resident of the Tauranga district, and a veteran of the Maori War, at the age of 96 years. Mr Knowles served with the British Army at the Crimea, and also during the Indian Mutiny. He had an eventful life in many parts of the world before coming to Tauranga. It is told of him that on one occasion he rescued a woman from a fire in a two-storyed building in a town in England. The woman’s husband called to thank Mr Knowles for his heroic action and asked if he could de anything for him. Mr Knowles replied to the effect that he had a mother dependent upon him, and to show his gratitude the man thereupon granted her a pension for life. The death is announced from Johannesburg of Sergeant Clem Roberts, D.C.M., who rescued Mr Winston Churchill from a precarious position near Dewetsdorp in the Boer War during heavy Boer fire in 1900. The death is announced of Mr Robert Peebles, chief postmaster of Thames, at the age of 54 years. He joined the postal service in 1888 at Dunedin, and went through the various grades till 1907, when he was transferred to Dunedin North. In 1911 he went to Naseby aa postmaster, m 1916 to Wyndham, and in 1920 to Fairlie. Late in 1920 he was attached to the chief inspector’s staff as inspector in the northern district. In 1924 he was promoted to the position of postmaster at Stratford, and in 1925 he was made chiel at Thames. He would have retired on superannuation at the end of this year. He had been ailing for several months. He leaves a widow and two daughters, one of whom is studying at Otago University. Advice has been received of the death of Mr David R. Purdie at Richmond, Nelson. Mr Purdie, who was the youngest son of the late Dr Henry Purdie, a prominent physician in Dunedin betweeen 1850 and 1876, of whom an interesting account is given in Dr Fulton’s “ Medical Practice in the Early Days,” had reached a ripe age, and had been in poor health for some time. For some years Mr Purdit was secretary of the Hanover Streeet Baptist Church, and later he held the same nosition in the Vivian Street Baptist Church in Wellington. He was a brother of Mrs John Gibson, of Dunedin, and of Mrs Frank W. Isitt.

Few men have had such an eventful career as the late Mr Frederick Friendship, aged 68, of Huntly, who died in the Auckland Hospital week-end. A native of Devonshire, he migrated to Australia as a young man. Mr Friendship was present at the Relief of Khartoum in the summer of 1884, being in the Camel Corps, and was right through the Sudan War, after enlisting under Wolseley in the early 'eighties. In the Coolgardie rush ne was engaged in carrying water for the mines with camels, and he was a worker in copper smelting works at Cobar in New South Wales and Chicago In Queensland. Migrating to Canterbury, he was employed by the well-known Rutherford family as farm manager before going north to Auckland to take up business as a carting contractor, a position he assumed in Huntly about 25 years ago, and the mining town was his home from then till the time of his death.

At the close of Friday morning’s call the chairman of the Dunedin Stock Exchange (Mr Harman Reeves) referred to the death of Mr J. B. Harcourt, of Wellington. The members all deplored the passing away of a very worthy jnan, who had won their esteem and respect, he said, and their sympathies went out to the relatives and to the members of the Wellington Stock Exchange. In all his dealings the late Mr Harcourt had been a most methodical man, and his business relationships had been marked by the strictest probity. His had been a generous and kindly nature, and some of them remembered with pleasure his wise counsels when they were first making headway in business. On the motion of the chairman, it was resolved that messages of sincere sympathy be sent to Miss Harcourt and to the Wellington Stock Exchange.

The friends throughout New Zealand of Dr J. Allan Thomson, director of the Dominion Museum, will learn with regret of his death, which occurred suddenly at Wellington on Sunday. Dr Thomson, who was born in Dunedin in 1884—a son of Mr G. M. Thomson, M.L.C. —and educated at the Otago Boys’ High School and the University of Otago, suffered a good deal from illhealth for many years past, but he struggled manfully and determinedly against this, and crowded into his too brief life of 44 years a vast amount of useful work, and, par ticularly in the field of science, rend-"ed service of an exceedingly high order. He enjoyed the distinction of being the first Rhodes Scholar selected in New Zealand, having previously won a senior NewZealand Universnty scholarship, and when he proceeded Home to Oxford, he was the holder also of an Exhibition scholarship. At Oxford University he entered St. John’s College, and after two years’ residence" was awarded the Burdett Coutts scholarship. A year later, in 1907, he was appointed demonstrator in geology at Oxford University, and in the following year received a lectureship at St. Johirs. Returning to New Zealand he was appointed paltentologist to the Department of Geological Survey, which position he held until 1914. In that year he was appointed to the office of director of the Dominion Museum, which he retained ever since. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute since 1914, and a fellow of that body, and last year he "was appointed to the office of its president. fie was secretary, also, of the Board of Science and Art for many years and the editor of the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology. He was the author of scores of papers on geology, palamtology, and natural history, moat of which are preserved in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, and quite recently his principal work, a monograph on Brachiopeda, was published. Many academic and scientic honours were secured by him, among them being those of M.A. (N.Z.), MA. (Oxon.), D.Sc. (N.Z.), A.0.5.M., IF.G.S., and Fellow N.Z. Inst. He was

married in 1909, but his wife died many years ago, and he is survived by a son and a daughter, both in their ’teens. As a boy and young man Dr Thomson actively and successfully identified himself with athletics. He was captain of the Otago High School fifteen, and P J yed in the first fifteens of both Otago and Oxford Universities, and in the trials tor the selection of the Scottish international Rugby team.

MR J. B. HARCOURT. •n ~ ELLINGTON, May 3. By the death of Mr J. B. Harcourt early this morning Wellington has lost one of its pioneers and one of its most prominent and best-known citizens. The late Mr Harcourt had been a leading ngure- in the business and social life of the city for many years past, and his demise will leave a gap hard to fill. Although he had never figured as an owner of racehorses, it was probably his close connection with the Wellington Racing Club that brought him most into the public eye. Under his presidency, x rentham, "with its great course and acommodation. has become what it is—probably the best equipped racecourse in New Zealand or Australia. 8° far as the available records go in fhe racing club’s office, Mr Harcourt was an official of the club in the days at Hutt Park—as far back as 1894—when he was a steward. Later he became a vice-president, and in December 1902, on the resignation of Mr John Duncan, he Y a 3, elected president—an office he held till his death.

In 1906 the move was made to Trentram, so he saw that place change from mere country to what it is to-day. During his connection with the club he proved himself an earnest worker for its success. A capital entertainer, and one a great deal to popularise the Vv ellington meetings among local racegoers and visitors in the realm of commerce and local affairs, Mr Harcourt played a big part. He was a member of the city council from 1889 to 1899; commissioner for .New Zealand to the Melbourne Exhibition in 1888; closely connected - with the direction of the Commonwealth Union Insurance Company and the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company; a life member and past president of the Navy League, and last but not least the founder of the business in Lambton quay which carries his name. On April 17 last he was elected the first life member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Mr Harcourt was first elected a member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in 1876, and in 1882 he was elected deputy chairman. In 1883-83 he was" elected chairman. With a brief interval (1887-89) Mr Harcourt was on the executive of the chamber from 1876 till 1896.

The late Mr Harcourt was born at Harbury, Warwickshire, on February 21, 1845. With his family he migrated to Victoria, and in 1866 he came to Wellington as manager for Messrs A. P. Stewart, warehousemen. Later he became a partner in the business, and finally took it over himself, his warehouse being on the site now occupied by the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-operative Association. During the course of the slump in 1888 he decided to wind up the business, and opened up the land agency concern on the opposite corner on Lambton quay. In 1908 the present buildings was built and the business transferred there. The late Mr Harcourt was one of a very large family, and he has a twin sister still living in Victoria, Australia. His eldest son (Mr F. E. H. Harcourt) died in South Africa in January of this year. The surviving members of the family are his 80118 —Messrs C. J. S. Harcourt, J. G. H. Harcourt, H. W. H. Harcourt (of Suva), Miss Harcourt, and Mrs J. Gillon.

When the members of the Wellington Stock Exchange assembled this morning the chairman (Mr R. Wynn Kirkby) made feeling reference to the death of Mr Harcourt, and moved—“ That as a mark of respect the call of shares be adjourned, also that a letter expressive of regret and of the sympathy to members be sent to Mr Harcourt’s family.” My Harcourt’s connection with local sharebroking, he said, dated back to the far past days, he having been one of those who initiated the old Wellington Stock and Sharebrokers’ Association in the early ’nineties, which was the forerunner of the present Stock Exchange. He was a member of the exchange until February 1918, when he relinquished his seat in favour of his son, Mr Stanton Harcourt, who is still a member.