A NOTABLE RECORD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 26

A NOTABLE RECORD.

NINETY YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND. Not many people are spared to reside for 90 years in New Zealand, but such a record was established by the late Mr William Udy, who passed away at his residence, Greytown, recently at the ripe age of 92 years. Only a fortnight before his death Mr Udy took to his bed, and his end, which was a peaceful one, was not unexpected. He retained all his faculties, and only a few weeks before his death was about the streets of Greytown greeting his friends and discussing the topics of the day. His first real setback was on the last general election day, when leaving the polling booth he slipped on the steps and in falling was considerably shaken. The deceased could rightly be claimed as the father of Grey town, although he was not of Wairarapa birth. Bom in Cornwall, England, in 1838, ae arrived with his parents, Mr and M-s Hart Udy, in New Zealand in the ship Duke of Roxburgh, landing on the Petone Beach. His father, who was a builder, and implement maker, died in Greytown in 1890. He was a preacher in the Wesleyan Church, and worked for Sir. Charles Molesworth, after whom Molesworth street, Wellington, was named. Mr Hart Udy built the first cutter and built the first house of New Zealand woods. Mr Udy could recollect the time when at high tide the sea flowed ovt. Lambton quay. Wellington, up to the doorway of some of the shops. He often recalled the fighting by the Maoris in 1844. Some of th settlers returned to Wellington, but his father had a boat and took his family up the Hutt River. When 17 years of age Mr Udy went to Georgetown, where his father had acquired three sections. With a primitive plant he assisted his father in running a sawmill at Maturawa, and when the bush was cut out there the mill was removed to Woodside. There were no roads in those days, and all timber was sledged and hauled by bullocks. In 1863 Mr Udy married Anne Maria Ticehurst, the daughter of Mr Edwin Ticehurst. Mr Udy then engaged in dairy farming, and the old homestead still stands near the Matarawa railway station. Mrs Udy lied in Grey town eight months before the date of their diamond wedding In the prime of h. life the deceased was one of the giants of the Wairarapa. turniu.. the scales at 19 stone. He was one of the pioneers of the dairying industry, being one of the promoters of the Grey town factory, the first co-operative concern of its kind in ■ New Zealand, and was amongst the first suppliers when the factory was opened in 1883. He was also one of the first directors of the New Zealand Dairy Union. Mr Udy belonged to the old volunteer corps and i from the rank of ensign to that of captain under Major Cleland. There was an ■'xciting incident on one occasion when ’he Maoris marched through the streets 'f Greytown with double-barrelled guns 'it half-cock. The volunteers lay quietly by with their guns loaded with bullets •ade from the lead lining of tea chests, Fortunately, the Maoris did not cause >ny trouble, although they pulled ferocious faces as they passed through the town. Mr Udy was a membe of the Greytown Borough Council for a number of years, and subsequently occupied’ho mayoral chair for a term. During the r° ime of the late Mr Seddon, Mr Udy was one of the stalwart Liberals >f the Wairarapa. He was made a justice of the peace, and was probably the oldest person holding that office in the Wairarapa. Mr Udy took a keen interest in sport, notably cricket, football, and bowling. The deceased is survived by i family of three sons and eigh daughters -Messrs Edwin Tidy (Invercargill), Harry and Dan Udy (Mataura),' Miss Udy, Mrs Hodge, and Mrs Leppien (Greytown), Mrs Bellve (Tauranga), Mrs Campbell (Frankton Junction), Mrs Thomps (Napier), Mrs Armstrong (Dannevirke), and Mrs Whiteman (Rangiotu). A sister of the deceased is still living, Mrs Welsh, of Carterton.