OBITUARY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 116, 22 June 1914, Page 5

OBITUARY.

CAPTAIN JOHN GRUBB. An old and much respected citizen of Lyttelton, in the person of Captain John Grubb, passed away on Saturday evening at the residence of his brother, Mr James Grubb, London street, Lyttelton. Captain Grubb was a son of the late Mr John Grubb, who arrived in Wellington in the ship General Palmer about 1847, and two years later shifted to Lyttelton and established a shipbuilding business. Captain Grubb was born in Lyttelton in 1852, and after his schooldays he entered the service of the Postal Department at Lyttelton, under the late Mr J. T. W. Wilkin and Mr A. Beck, now Commissioner of Railways, Tasmania. Mr Grubb, however, preferred to go to sea, and about 1868 he decided to journey to Hobart, where he became apprenticed to the firm of Belbin and Dowdall, owners of the sailing ships Christhna, Eucalyptus, Southern Cross, and Halley Bailey. Xfter many adventurous voyages the deceased decided to return to Lyttelton, where he joined the firm of Cuff and Graham, and toop up a position as master of the ketch Sarah and Mary. Subsequently he had charge of the Mary Yan Every, which traded between Dunedin and Lyttelton. He afterwards signed on the Mermion, and was master of the vessel when she picked up a boat containing several passengers of the ill- j fated Queen Bee, which was wrecked' off Farewell Spit. At the time of the incident the Mermion was bound from Waitara-to Greymouth. Having served a most useful career in sail, the deceased then joined the New Zealand Government steamer Hinemoa as mate, but about 10 years ago he received an appointment in the Northern Steamship Company, Auckland, as master of the steamer Ohinemuri, which acted as towboat between Onehunga and Kaipara. Owing to ill-health, Captain Grubb was compelled to relinquish his post two years ago, and since that time he has lived with his brother in Lyttelton. Captain pilot and harbourmaster at Kaiapoi, served his apprenticeship with the late Captain Grubb. The deceased was a widower, his wife having predeceased him about 14 years ago. He had a family of five children, but they are also dead. Captain Grubb was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Hokitika.