OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 20834, 24 July 1929, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR HENRY EDGINTON.

LATE CURATOR OF PUBLIC GARDENS.

The , death occurred yesterday of Mr Henry Edginton, who for over a quarter of a century and until a lew years ago was curator of public gardens in Invercargill. He was born in 1848 in Oxfordshire, England, where he was educated. He was trained for nursery work and held various positions before coming to New Zealand in 1874. He settled in Invercargill and after two years with Mr R. Cleave, at Avenal, took charge of the latter’s nursery at Bay Road where he remained for 17 years. He was appointed Curator of Public Gardens in 1893 and was associated with the very great development of the borough reserves during the 30 years and more that he held the position prior to retiring two or three years ago. Mr Edginton was married in 1871, and had a family of seven sons and five daughters.

MR JAMES TURNBULL.

OLD GORE RESIDENT PASSES

In the person of the late Mr James Turnbull whose death occurred at his residence, Joseph street, Gore, on Monday there passed away a well-known and popular resident for long connected with the town and surrounding district. Born at Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in September, 1852, the late Mr Turnbull arrived in New Zealand on September 1, 1863 in the vessel City of Dunedin, and amongst his shipmates on the voyage were the following who afterwards took up residence in or near Gore: Mr John Bagrie (West Gore), Mrs P. Murray (East Gore) and Mr Hugh Smith (McNab). After a sojourn at Dunedin, where he completed his education and served his time as a saddler under Mr George Dowse, Mr Turnbull went to Lawrence and then to Gore in February, 1876, commencing business as a saddler and harness maker. A small hut on a site between Mersey and Irk streets was the scene of his earlier operations and he later removed to a site now occupied by Messrs Simon Bros.’ boot store, which was at one time the site of a chemist shop owned by Mr D. B. Esther. Mr Turnbull later transferred to a shop where the offices of J. E. Watson and Company, Mersey street, now stand. Several years later he' finally settled and carried on business on the site in Main street now occupied by his son, Mr Walker Turnbull, retiring from active business in 1920.

The late Mr Turnbull was a devout churchman and was also prominently connected with the Gore Borough Council, the Gore School Committee and the district Early Settlers’ Association. Fifty-two years ago Mr Turnbull was married by the Rev. J. M. Davidson at Gore to Miss Lizzie Walker who, born at Sago, a small village in the North of Ireland, came out to the colony in the early days. The golden wedding anniversary took place at Gore two years ago. There were seven sons and one daughter as a result of the union, and of the sons Joseph and Christie made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War while Thomas died in England during that period. The members of the family still living are as follows: Messrs John (New Plymouth) ; Andrew (Owaka) ; Bishon (Waimate) ; Walker (Gore) and Miss Tui (Gore). The funeral takes place this afternoon at the Gore cemetery.