OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17567, 18 June 1925, Page 12

OBITUARY.

AIRS E. F LOR ANTE. In the passing of Mrs E. Florance, Christchurch loses another of its little group of early settlers. Deceased was born in Ashford, Derbyshire, and arrived in Lyttelton as a little child in October, 1556. Losing her mother a few days after landing, she experienced all the hardships of those early da3's. The only abode procurable was a roofless two-roomed cottage at Papanui, but this was merely temporary. The family soon moved to a home of their own, built from timber grown in the Papanui Bush. Airs Florance’s father in 1860 bought land at New Brighton. The deceased practically grew tip with city, watching its development from a land of swamp, raupo, flax and niggerheads to its present-day maturity. Though living in retirement, deceased took great interest in social movements and church work. In her young days her father, the late D. \Y. Hamilton, set aside a room in his house in New Brighton for church services, at which the late Alessrs Twenty man, J. AI. Hey wood,-Bishop Harper and others used to conduct Sunday worship. The deceased lady placed at the disposal of Nurse Maude the land on which was established the first women’s consumption camp, which was formally opened by his Excellency Lord Onslow twenty years ago. Mrs Florance leaves three sons, two daughters and numerous grandchildren to mourn their loss.