OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1926, Page 8

OBITUARY.

MR. JOHN BARTON ROY. • MANY SERVICES TO TOWN. 1 WORK FOR EDUCATION. The death of Mr. John Barton Roy, • well-known resident of New Plymouth, occurred last night. He waa 71 years of age. Ha late Mr. Roy was one of th, most widely known residents of Hew Plymouth in which he spent » great many years, and during much of his life in tho town he occupied several prominent public positions, being for eeveral years Mayor. In that capacity, and for his work in the cause of education as a member of the High School Board of Governors, Mr. Roy performed a great public service which makes his passing the cause of deep regret. Mr. Roy was born at Trentham, near Wellington, in 1855, and was educated at the Otago Boys’ High and also at Nelson College. In Nelson he was trained for the legal profession, and was there admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court in December, 1876. For a very short period he practised in Hawera, and in 1879 he removed to New Plymouth, commencing a long practic which did not terminate until his recent retirement. After remaining in business by himself for a short time, he entered into partnership with Mr. William Haise. The partnership was broken by the death of Mr. Haise, but Mr. Roy still maintained his connection with the family of his S late partner by marrying the latter’s daughter. Miss Haise. In 1903, Mr. Roy entered into partnership with Mr. F. E. Wilson, the present Mayor of New Plymouth, this partnership lasting for five years until 1908, when it was dissolved. After a further period of practice on his own account, a partnership was formed between Mr. Roy and Mr. J. C. Nicholson, which was not broken until Mr. Roy’, retirement in 1922.

Mr. Roy was for many years closely associated with the institutions of Taras naki, and he took a particularly keen in. terest in education. In 1889, when the control of the New Plymouth High School was taken out of the hands of the Education Board and vested in a special board of governors, Mr. Roy became a of the first board, occupying the position of treasurer. When the Hon. T. Kelly, another member of ths board, discovered that a large area of land at Opaku, on tho Whenuakura River, had been set aside by Parliament in 1872 for providing revenue for secondary education in Taranaki, Mr. Roy joined with him in a serious investigation of the position of the fund (which stood then at £15,000), and it was largely due to the perseverance of Mr. Roy (who

was subsequently aided in this ’matter by Mr. N. K. Mac Diarmid) that the attempts of the Wanganui Education Board and Victoria College to'seize this endowment were frustrated, and the money kept for the provision of Taranaki scholarships. For five years Mr. Roy was chairman of the High School Board, and for very many years he was the board’s advisor. In municipal affairs Mr. Roy took a keen interest,. After serving as a council lor for three years, he was elected Mayor of the town on December 19, 1888, holding the position until the end of the following year. In 1893 he was again elected Mayor, and held office until 1897, when he was defeated by Mr. E. Dockrill and retired thenceforth from any active part in public affairs. v In his private capacity, Mr. Roy secured 1 a great deal of public work. He was solicitor for the State Advances from the inception of the scheme in the early nineties, and has been connected with a number of local bodies as their legal advisor. He was a prominent pioneer in the oil industry in Taranaki, being one of the directors on the advisory board of one of the English companies. Mr. Roy is survived by three Mesdames Will. Kelly (Awakino) and G. S. Miller (New Plymouth), and Miss Roy, and one son, Mr. lan Roy (New Plymouth).

MR. SAMUEL BROOKES. 50 YEARS IN NEW PLYMOUTH. The death occurred in the New Plymouth hospital at a late hour last night of Mr. Samuel Brookes, at the advanced age of 78 years. Mr. Brookes, although of a qniet and retiring disposition and aM man not keen on prominence in municipal affairs, had been a resident of New Ply- , mouth for over 50 years, during which time he seldom left tho town and never lived away from it. He was a native of England, coming out to New Plymouth direct, over half a century ago, in the sailing ship Waikato. His chief interest outside his work and his homo lay in the activities of the Agricultural Society, and for many years he was a well known exhibitor of various birds, pigeons and doge. He also took a lifelong interest, though not an active part, in the work of the Citizens’ Band. Mr. Brookes is survived by two sons, Messrs. John Brookes (Frankton) and P» Brookes (Wellington), and four daughters, Miss A. Brookes (New Plymouth), Mrs. W. H. Pellew (New Plymouth), Mre. C. Bond (New Plymouth), and Mrs. V. MoArthur (Frankton). MR. THOMAS F. GODDARD. . IN TARANAKI FOR 63 YEARS Sixty-three years’ continuous residence in Taranaki was the proud' record of Mr. Thomas F. Goddard, whose death at the age of 64 at Mere Mere, South Taranaki, yesterday, caused widespread regret in the district in which he was so well known. The late Mr. Goddard was born in Nelson in 1862, but when one year old he was brought to Taranaki by his parent!. For 25 years after he had attained, manhood he carried on hl? work at Waitara as a hor.se trainer, and became a popular figure amongst all followers of sporting. Later he removed to Mere Mere, where he took up farming, and had been there eight year! when he became stricken by a six we<W illness which terminated fatally yesterdaySi