OBITUARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2303, 25 January 1897, Page 3

OBITUARY.

{OUtgo Daily Tima.) The many friends throughout Otago of Mrs Holmes, wife of the Hon. Mathew Holmes, M.L.C.. will have received with deep regret the intelligence of her death, which occurred at Wellington on Thursday. The deceased lady was a Miss M'Lean, belonging to a branch of the family of which Mr John M'Lean, of Redcastle, is a member. As a child she came with her parents from Scotland to Tasmania, and m Melbourne was married to Mr Holmes, with whom she afterwards removed to Geelong, where her husband entered into business as the head of the firm of Holmes, White and Co. This was at the time of the gold rush, when most of the trade of the goldfields passed through Geelong. On the memorable Black Thursday (February 6th, 1851) Mrs Holmes had an experience of a terrible kind. The thermometer on that day stood at 112deg. m the shade, and flames from bush fires were consuming the whole country round about Mr Holmes' house, which was itself completely destroyed m the fire, the family losing everything. Mrß Holmes and the whole of her family, to save themselves, utood for the whole of that day immersed m the waters of a lagoon and from the effects of that experience the then youngest child subsequently died. Leaving Geelong the family visited England, and came to Otago m 1864. They settled at Anderson's Bay, but Mr and Mrs Holmes were m the habit of spending a portion of 'their time also at Awamoa, near Oatnaru, and latterly they lived m Wellington. The deceased lady, who was about 76 years of age, took an active part while living m Dunedjn m charitable and philanthropic ! movements. She, was one of the founders : of the Female Kefuge, she took a warm interest m the Benevolen^Justitutions, and she was one of those who were associated with Miss Dalrymple m the movement for providing the girls of Otago with the advantages of higher education. Mr Allan Holmes (solicitor, of this city), Mrs George M'Lean (wife of the Hon. G. M'Lean), Mr J. S. Holmes (of Awamoa), Mrs J. White (wife of Mr John White, solicitor, of this city), and Mr Stuart Holmes (of Kakanui), are surviving members of the deceased lady's family,