PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The death is reported from Christchurch of Lady Bowen, widow of Sir Charles Bowen, in her eighty-fourth year.

Mr. Stephenson, of Weraroa, is at present acting manager of Moumahaki State Farm pending a permanent appointment of a supervisor. Very deep grief is felt in the Kiri}? Country at the death of Dr. William McLeod, who died at Hamilton Hospital at the end of last week from, septic appendicitis. His headquarters were at Piopio, and he practised there for some years. He was a native of Scotland, and was an ideal country doctor. The president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. J. McLeod, of New Plymouth, intended going across to Sydney to meet the South African Rugby team on their arrival there, but in the last few days has discovered that for business reasons he is unable to make the trip. In the person of the late Mrs. Chas. French Pemberton, who died recently, Canterbury has lost another of her earliest pioneers. Mrs. Pemberton was born at Sellindge, Kent, England, where she married the late Mr. Pemberton, civil engineer and surveyor, prior to leaving for Now Zealand in the sailing ship Gleaner, in the year 1857. The death occurred suddenly at Eltham on Thursday night of Mrs. Joseph Taylor. The deceased lady had been suffering from acute pneumonia, but had apparently passed the crisis on Tuesday, and was making good recovery. At about midnight on Wednesday she became ill and died, very suddenly from heart failure. Mrs. Taylor leaves a husband and three little daughters and a son not yet two months old. —Argus. The death took place at the residence of her mother (Mrs. Parsons) at Chiselhurst, yesterday morning, of Mrs. Vida Wilson’ She had been suffering for some time part, and had only just returned from Whangarei, where she had been endeavoring to recuperate. Mr. Wilson was for some time manager of the Eltham branch of the Melbourne Clothing Co., and is now in charge of the Hawera branch, says the Argus. Mr. J. B. Mayne, M.A.. who is retiring after 49 years’ service with the Education Department, was on Tuesday afternoon the recipient in Christchurch of a silver-mounted walking stick, suitably inscribed, and a. case of pipes, from his brother inspectors. Mr. W. Brook, senior inspector, in making the presentation, referred to the faithful and efficient service rendered by Mr. Mayne during the past nine years as an inspector, and eulogised his efforts in the cause of primary education in Canterbury.

The birth of a seventh son of a seventh son is regarded as an event of some importance, but when it is the third time such a thing has happened in successive generations of a family, the occasion is invested with much additional interest. This is the unique history that attaches to the recent birfh of a seventh son to Mr. and Mrs. S. de S. Hawkins, of Whahanaki (North Auckland). Mr. Septimus de Septimo Hawkins was the seventh son of Mr. W. L. Hawkins, who was one of the first managers of the Bank of Australasia in Christchurch. Mr. W. L. Hawkins was the seventh son of Captain T. F. Hawkins, R.N., one of the pioneers of South Wales.

On Tuesday last the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C., was the guest of the London Board of the Bank of New Zealand at a luncheon party. Besides the hosts, the following gentlemen, who had been invited to meet . Mr. Massey, were present:—Mr. Montagu C. Norman, D. 5.0., governor of the Bank of England; Sir (Jordon Nairne, comptroller of the Bank of England; Mr. Cecil Lubbock, a director of the Bank of England; the Right Hon. Reginald McKenna, formerly Chancellor of the Exchequer and now chairman of the London Joint City and Midland Bank, which is the largest of British banks; Mr. Scrimgeour, one of the leading London stockbrokers and financial agents: Mr. Hartley Withers, the well-known author of works on financial and economic subjects, and editor of The Economist; Mr. Allan Hughes, ohairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company anti the Federal S.N. Co.; Sir Robert Stout; Sir John Findlay; and Mr. F. D. Thomson, C.M.G. The funeral took place at Te Henui Cemetery yesterday afternoon of Mr. W. J. McKee, late chairman of the Omata 00-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., who died at the age of f»2 years. Mr. McKee, whose father was e master at the Courtenay Street school some years ago, had a long experience of farming in Taranaki, at Lepperton, at Tikorangi, and for the last sixteen years at Omata. In 1904 he was elected a director of the Omata Company and in 1910 became its chairman. Failing health caused Mr. McKee to live in New Plymouth during the past six months, but he continued to hold office until last month, when he resigned. Mr. McKee was held in great respect by all who came in contact with him, and ‘the funeral was attended by a large number of friends and suppliers of the company. He is survived by his widow, a daughter of the late Mr, W. B. Snell (of Waitara), one son (Mr. William. McKee), who is farming at Omata, and two daughters (Mrs. A. W. Mace and Mrs. R. G. Knapman).