VETERAN MARINER

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1931, Page 6

VETERAN MARINER

CAPTAIN JOHN KINGDON. MEMORIES OF THE CRIMEA! At the age of 94 there died on Sunday Captain John Kingdon, of Albany, Auckland, a veteran mariner, who in his early days had even more than the usual I share of adventure that falls to the lot of those that “do business in great waters.” Born in Devon three months before the death of William IV., he could make the rare boast of having lived in the reigns of four British sovereigns. Captain Kingdon took to the sea very early in life, and at the age of 11 made a voyage to Quebec in a sailing ship. At. the age of 15 he became an apprentice oii the Argo, an aiixiliary steamship of 1850 tons. In 1853 she made a new record by running from Southampton to Melbourne in 63 days and she brought back with her the largest shipment of gold that had so far left the country. Captain' Kingdon Was an officer on the Argo when She was in commission as a transport taking troops 'to the Crimea. Off Scutari she was run into by a French vessel and had to be beached opposite the Scutari hospital. She was repaired, and on her return journey had among her- passengers the famous Florence Nightingale, who was returning to England after two most strenuous years’ nursing on the peninsula. ' . ' In the following year, 1857, Captain Kingdon made his first trip to New Zealand in the George Canning, a vessel of only 411 tons, which brought out immigrants to Otago. He subsequently made other trips tb New Zealand, and in 1862, when shipping was experiencing a slump in Great Britain,. he decided to settle in the colony. Soon after his arrival at Auckland he obtained charge of a cutter which was running to the -Great Barrier under the ownership of the ■Great Barrier Land and . Mining Company, which was at. that time employing 100 men on the island.'. He later went to the Hauraki district prospecting and. mining. When the Thames goldfield was opened Captain Kingdon took up a claim at Hape Creek and had alongside him as a neighbour the famous Von Tempsky, one of the Maori War heroes. Leaving the goldfields later, he returned to seafaring and was master of different coasters and scows until about 25 years ago, when he retired and settled down at Albany. In 1917, however, at the age of 80, he emerged from his retirement to answer the call for sailors and certificated mariners in the busy days of the war, and made two trips between Whangaxei and Australia as second mate on a timber-carrying vessel. Except , for the fact that he was hard of. hearing, Captain Kingdon preserved his faculties in a remarkable manner and enjoyed very good health until shortly before his death. He is survived by his , wife, who is aged about 77 years.