CENTENARIAN'S DEATH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14236, 2 March 1917, Page 4

CENTENARIAN'S DEATH.

— ' COLONIST FOR 77 YEARS. The Auckland Herald states: One ; of the very oldest settlers m New. Zealand, whose lifetime dated back to the days before tlie country became a JJritish possession, has just passed away at WaiuKu— Mrs Philip King,., relict of tho late Mr Philip Hansen King, one of tho pioneer missionaries to the Maori's. Mrs King., waa a daughter of.. Captain Fiske, an ofljcer of the East India Com- 1 pany's. service, and was born m.. ,-Tas- j mania on : January %1, 1816, In the early \ part of 1840 she arrived at. tho Bay of Islands m jthe brig Falcon,, which, on, its way., from Sydney, .had sighted H.MS. Jlerald, bearing Captain Ho.txson on his mission, to take possession of N.ew Zealand m the name of thp, British Crown. A few months, later Miss Fiske 1 was married ,at ljUissell to Mr ,Philjp King, t still an earlier colonist,, for he had arrived m 1814 with his. father,. r *.lr John King, one of the staff of the Rev. .Samuel Marsden, of the Church Mission Society. During the Heko war of 1845 Mr and Mi's ' King had to take refuge m. ths then infant town of Auckland, and stay there for some 12 months. In, 1854 they lef,t the bay and settled m Parrtell. Mr King acted as a native interpreter during the Waikato war, and at the close of the hostilities he settled m Waiuku, where ,Mra King has lived for; the last 53 years, latterly • with her son. „ Mrs King lived m, the .reigns pf six British sovereigns, froni George 111. U\ George V., and she leaves, six childran living I and 40 grand) children (including _\lrs ;W. 11 QoSe. of Gisborije), , 45 greatgrandchildren, and several great-great- . grandchildren. ... Several of her descend"!antp aro now fighting, for the Etppire m Franca. Ilie old lady, was \n full posI session of her , faculties up to .t{ie time of her final illness, and at the,celobra.tion of her 101 st bu'Uiday.iiL January she I received uoiigratulataiy telegrams from .all parts of New Zealand and from Ausl.tralia.