OBITUARY.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15090, 5 June 1919, Page 4

OBITUARY.

—ti ■»» — MR, JOHN SHARP.

. There passed away yesterday morn--ing at his residence, "Feilwor'th," Milton street, Mr John Sharp, one of Nel- - son's oldest .residents and a man who in the.early days took one of the most prominent places among the men who made Nelson one of the leading centres - of the Dominion. The old settlers klle. w. ow manyrsided ■ were Mr Sharp's , activities, but the younger generation, to whom he was well known personally, a-re not aware of the value of the work the deceased gentleman did when the settlement was in its infancy. No man within our knowledge has filled as many public positions and been as actively identified with the progress of Nelson as Mr Sharp. In every' phase of public service Mr Sharp took his part and always occupied a leading position, whether in the wider area of colonial politics, in municipal government, or the local institutions which have so important a bearing upon the life of a young community. As magistrate, legislator, Mayor, merchant and . athlete he has left a record for. which it would be difficult to find a parallel. Mr Sharp was born in Maidstone, \ Kent, in 1828, and was thus in his 91st ! year at the time of his death. He was educated at Chatham House College, ilamsgate, for the Navy. He joined the merchant service, however, I and while in the West Indies he saw jan insurrection nipped in the bud. in 1843 he came out to New Zealand m the. ship Ursula as clerk to Mr Francis i>illon Bell, afterwards Sir Francis Dillon Bell. Mr Sharp was subsequently engaged as a surveyor under the New Zealand Company. He them received the appointment of assistant clerk to Mr John Tinime, clerk to the /Superintendent and Kesident Magistrate, and on the resignation of Mr Tinlino he stepped into his place. A few months later he received the appointment of Registrar of the Supreme Court. On the death of Mr Poynter ho was appointed Resident Magistrate Registrar of Deeds and Deputy Commissioner of Stamps. After holding these appointments for three years he retired from the public service, and, entered private business, from which' he retired in 1885, and has since lived quietly at his residence in Milton street.

In the old Provincial Council Mr Sharp sat for two years as representative for Wainiea East; subsequently he represented the Amuri. For three years he occupied the position of Provincial Treasurer.

Mr Sharp was returned as one of the members for fhe City of Nelson in 1875, and sat in the House of Representatives for three sessions. During that period he was successful in inducing Parliament to pass an Act to enable the Corporation of Nelson to purchase from the General Government—into whose hands they had fallen on the abolition of the provinces—the Nelson waterworks and. gasworks.

As Provincial Treasurer, Mr Sharp with the late Mr A. J. Richmond, was charged with the duty of apportioning accounts as between Nelson and Marlborough provinces when Marlborough was constituted a separate province. He was also instrumental in framing the necessary adjustments when on the abolition of the provinces the Nelson waterworks, etc., passed under municipal control. He was Mayor of Nelson from 1888 to 1890. a member of the Militia with the rank of lieutenant, when the Maori troubles were a real factor in colonial life, and afterwards captain of the old Nelson Rifles Volunteer Company. He was a crack rifle shot and one of the leading cricketers of his ;day,and"one of the first .lieutenants of tho Nelson Volunteer Fire Brigade. In later years he became actively associated with the Nelson Bowling Club, and to the very last took an interest in the play, being a frequent spectator of the club games. He was a Freemaspn of long standingbeing one of the oldest members, and for a long period one of the trustees of Southern Star Lodge. He was also an author in a small way, his law publication consolidating the statute law of "Munster and New Ulster" being a standard work of its day, and preceding the work of the late Mr Justice Johnston.

As Registrar of the Supreme "Court and Sheriff he took a prominent part iv meting out justice to the Maungatapu ihurderer s.

In commercial life until his retirement Mr Sharp was as active as in other directions. For a considerable period he was the principal partner in the City Brewery. He later was associated with Mr Francis Pickering,, and the firm of Sharp and Pickering was one of the leading land estate and auctioneering firms in the province. Later the business was carried on as Sharp and, Sons. Mr Sharp was twice married, and the surviving members of the first family are Messrs Chas. Sharp, Toowoomba, Queensland; Wm. Sharp, Marlborough ; John Sharp, Lower Moutere; H. A. Sharp, Tauranga ; and Mrs Haekworth, Invercargill. The children of tho second family .are .Sergt. Ben Sharp,-re-cently returned from the front," anct Mrs K. Allen.