OBITUARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16591, 13 November 1919, Page 2

OBITUARY.

MR. JAMES WADE. There passea away on November 12 at Nurse Baker’s hospital, another of Taranaki’s highly respected settlers in the person of Mr. James Wade, of Westown, in his 78th year, well over half a century having been spent in Taranaki. The late Mr. Wade was born at Willesden, Middlesex, England, in 1841. Having Tost ‘both his parents at the age of 14 years, fie left England for New York to join his only brother, and remained in America until he was married. In June of 1865 ho and his wife sailed for New Zealand, via England, arriving at Auckland the same year by the ship Aliquis. Coming to New Plymouth ho acquired land at Mangorei, where he engaged m farming very successfully for nearly 40 years. The late Mr. Wade took a keen interest in all public matters. Ho was chairman of the first local school committee, also 25 years as a member of the Mangorei Road Board, for 14 of which he was chairman. His main public work was done in tbe cause of education. H© served, on, the Ildiicatfon Board for 29 years, for five of which he was chairman. Ha was also the board’s representative on the Board of School Commissioners, and while serving on this board ho took a prominent part in bringing about the exchange of land which enabled the Borough Council to establish what is now the Western Park, and the Board, of Education obtained the splendid sites for the Central School, Technical School, and Board’s offices.. In 1886 he met with a severe accident, and from this he suffered much for the rest of his life. His wife predeceased him by 14 years. By his death the oxstrict loses a sterling settler, and the family, consisting of one son, Mr. Alfred Wade, and four daughters. Miss Wade, Mrs. J. Miller, MrS.lv L, F. Norman, and Mrs. R. Thomas, a kind and loving father.- To them and the relatives we extend our sympathy in their sad bereavement.

AN APPRECIATION,

Although for several years the late Mr. James Wade has lived in close retirement, his death ,which occurred yesterday, leaves the district the .poorer hy the’ loss of a good man who in his time served his fellows faithfully and well. Thirty-three years ago almost to a, day, on November 15, 1886, Mr. Wade met with an accident as a result of which he hovered between life and death for many weeks and which left him partially crippled to the end of his davs. He was attacked by a bull on his farm and suffered very severe spinal injury. He owed his escape from death in the first place to the extraordinary bravery of his son Alfred, .then a boy of 15, who -went to his father’s assistance and kept the infuriated bull at bay while his sister brought him a rope, which he tied to a broken chain hanging to the animal’s horns and led the brute away. In the second place he owed his life to the skill and devotion of Dr. Loatham, then a young practitioner, who. was most unremitting in his attention to the sufferer. James Wade was a man. ■whom to know was to respect. In his character there was a harmony ns rare as it is beautiful, between elements not usually found in combination. Singular shrewdness, sound common sense, and remarkably independent judgment existed in his nature side by side with extreme modesty, great gentleness and warmheartedness. A self-made, and, wo believe, self-taught man, Mr. Wade not only secured, by more than the average thrift, energy, and intelligence, a comfortable independence for himself and family, but won general and richly deserved confidence and esteem. His farm at Mangorei, before ho left it and came to Westown to live, was one of the model farms of the district. It was a treat in those old days to accompany him over it and notice on every side the manifest tokens of skill, industry, and economy in its right sense. Mr. Wade took his share of pulic duty, chiefly as a member of the Taranaki Board of Education, upon which ho sat for many years, both before and after his accident, and for some years occupying the position of chairman. ' Here his unselfish, untiring, and enlightened labours gains him the respect and confidence of all his fellowworkers in the cause of education, and his retirement from the hoard some years ago left a gap which was very hard to fill. Advancing years and the effects of the accident which so nearly terminated him life in 1886, compelled kirn during recent years to remain in close retirement, but his companionship remained a privilege to those of his friends who were able to share it.