OBITUARY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21064, 16 June 1938, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR PETER SINCLAIR <* i Yesterday the death occurred at his 1 residence, Bank Street, of Mr Peter Sinclair, at the age of 92 years. Mr Sinclair was one of the few surviving early settlers of Timaru, having taken up residence in the town 69 years iga. Mr Sinclair was born at Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland, and at the age of 23 came out to New Zealand and settled in Timaru, where he was engaged in foundry work. In 1869 he married Miss Catherine Ferguson, who had accompanied him to New Zealand from Scotland, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. George Barclay, the first Presbyterian minister in Timaru, in the Mechanics Institute, North Street, before either of the Presbyterian churches was built. Mrs Sinclair died in 1922. ■ Mr Sinclair is survived by the fol- . lowing sons and daughters: Messrs T. 1 Sinclair (New Plymouth), R. Sinclair ' (Timaru), J. Sinclair (Ashburton), D. Sinclair (Auckland), Mrs W. Wade (Christchurch), Mrs E. Hassall (Feilding), Mrs J. Priest, Mrs L. Clare and Miss May Sinclair (Timaru). On the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, a majority of his family gathered with him to celebrate the event. At that time in an interview with a reporter of “The Timaru Herald,” he recalled that he had come to New Zealand in the Merrip, which was a composite wood and steel vessel. There were very few vessels of that type built, he said, because they required copper screws, bolts and rivets, which made them too expensive to construct. Recollections of Timaru in its early days brought forth many hearty chuckles from Mr Sinclair. He said that at one time he had seen a bullock dray, drawn by 20 bullocks, bogged to the axles on the present site of the Bank of New Zealand. “Elections in those days were real fun,” he remarked. “We certainly gave the candidates a rough time then.” He referred to the time when Mr Richard Turnbull was Member for Timaru and to the lively election meetings of the time compared with the orderly campaigns which take place to-day. Mr Sinclair . also witnessed the arrival of the first train to run from Temuka to Timaru. MR G. L. T. PEACOCKE By Telegraph —Press Association AUCKLAND, June 16. A well-known figure in the history of Auckland, Mr Gerald Loftus Torin Peacocke, of Papatoetoe, died to-day. Mr Peacocke, who was 86, was identified with many of the important organisations of the city during the earlier days. For many years he was acting chairman of the Auckland University College Council, and. was for a term an active member of the Auckland Education Board. He was also a member of the Auckland Agricultural Association for several years, and as vice-president and chairman of the Auckland Railways League he worked untiringly for the completion of the main trunk railway.