OBITUARY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 8, 1 May 1912, Page 3

OBITUARY.

Mr James Roulston.

By the death of Mr James Roulstou, which occurred at his residence, "Belmont," Pukekohe, on Friday last, perhaps the best-known, and one of the oldest, and certainly one of the most highly respected members of this community has been removed. Mr Roulston's name has been synononioiis with Pukek'dm for many years. He arrived here to take over the Pukekobe hotel and store as far lack as 1874, and for nearly forty years he had been a resident of the district. Mr Roulston remained in business for 10 years, and afterwards engaged in farming pursuits. Born in Donegal, Ireland, Mr Roulston in 1861 emigrated to Au-tialia and for some short time carried on farming, but abandoned this to follow the gold rushes which appealed to his enterprising natuie; he therefore threw in his lot witli the miners in various camps in Australia, but eventually ttiuud his way to New Zealand being with the pieneex picks in Gabriel's Gully, Tunpeka, Wakamarina, Wairoa und Thames prior to " settling down " in this district. In the earlier days Mr Boulston's enterprise, grit and judgmeut soon won him respect and he was invariably consulted and regarded as the j final authori v on local and district affair-. Th.\t well-pained reputation he maintained until, at the ripe age of 78, he paid the inevitable debt te nature. Be did not himself take a prominent part in public affairs but it was he who rescued the Franklin A. and P. Association from what seemed like impending failure twenty years ago. It was he, too, when the cooperative movement grew shaky, who induced the proprietary to continue the manufacture of dairy products. Be>ides his pi ivate activities and his ever-ready help to sports and athletic clubs, Mr Roulston was a liberal supporter of the Presbyterian Church and was for a long time treasurer of the local and provincial funds. These servicps were fittingly acknowledged in the churches last Sunday.

As a sportsman Mr Roulston held an honoured name throughout New Zealand. He was one of the oldest racing men in the Auckland province. The foundation of his stud was the Kingfisher mare Winnie, the dam of a number' of first-class racehorses. Record Reign was another of the notable horses owned by Mr Roulston. As a Northern writer says :—" Never once during his long connection with the turf was there a breach of suspicion attached to the running of his horses." A tribute of that sort is an epitaph of precious memory. As a further indication of the esteem in which the deceased gentleman was held, a number of his sporting friends motored out from Auckland but the state of the roads prevented them reaching their destination. A further especial tribute was the lowering of the flags at Ellerslie to half-mast.

In most inclement weather, on Sunday, there was a very large assemblage to pay their last respects to the deceased gentleman at the graveside. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. S. Nixon, assisted by the Rev. F. B. Dobson. At the cemetery gates the cortege was met by the Pukekohe Town Band, whose members, lining the procession-way, played Chopin's funeral march, and over the grave rendered " Lead, Kindly Light,,' and " Peace, Perfect Peace," in which hymns the sorrowing assemblage feelingly joined.

Mr Roulston leaves behind him a family whose names have been long associated with the commercial and farming interests of Pukekohe, and although death came to him in the fullness of his years, a wide circle of friends tender their condolences to the bereaved.