OBITUARY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 765, 24 July 1916, Page 9

OBITUARY.

MR JOHN RENNIE. Mr John Rennie, of Doyleston, one of Canterbury's pioneers, died at ! Sumner yesterday, aged 70 years. Mr I Rennie had been slaying with his > daughters at Sumner for the benefit of his health. He was born at Pitdoulzie, near Turiff, Aberdeenshire, in 1810, and he sailed for New Zealand in 1858, landing at Dunedin where he took part in the Gabriel's Gully rush. He was engaged in railway contracting in Canterbury in the early sixties, and firs! took up land at Prebbleton. He subsequently settled at Doyleston, where he was one of | the first residents. He took a very ! keen interest in public affairs, oc- \ cupying a seat on the SehVyn County ! Council, which body he represented ! on the Lyllellon Harbour Board and the Christchurch Hospital Board. For 20 years he was a member of the Ellesmere Road Board. In 1881 he was elected a director of the New 'Zealand Farmers' Co-op., serving on the executive of that body until 1902. He look an active interest in educational matters, and was a member of 1 the Board of Governors of the Canterbury Agricultural College, and was also for many years on the Leeslon School Committee, and the North Canterbury Education Board, being chairman of the latter body in 1900. The late Mr Rennie was president of the Ellesmere A. and P. Association for some years, and was recently elected a life member of the association. He leaves a family of four sons and four daughters. MRS JAMES ADAIR MOORE. Another link with the past was broken on Thursday evening at Lakeside, when Mrs James Adair Moore, one of the early pioneers, passed to her rest. The late Mrs Moore came to New Zealand by the Chariot of Fame, with her husband and four children, about 50 years ago, and settled in the Ellesmere district al a lime when the countryside consisted largely of niggerheads and swam]). The first home of the hardy pioneers was a sod whare. The husband eventually purchased a farm at Sedgemere. After a few years there he took up land at Lakeside, eventually removing lo Hinds, near Ash-; burton. In 1911, advancing old age j compelled him to give up farming pursuits. They then look up their residence with a son-in-law, Mr John Manson, of Lakeside. In 1914, Mr I Moore passed away. Although she had readied the remarkable age of 98 years, Mrs Moore retained her faculties up to the end. The war en-j grossed a great deal of her attention,; and there was no more indefatigable worker in making socks and comforts for the men at the front. Of a] family of eight, three survive her,! namely, Messrs Robert and Aynsley Moore, of Lyndford, and Mrs Manson, Lakeside. Her descendants in- 1 chide 43 grand children and one ! great-grandchild.