GREYTOWN CENTENARIAN.

Wairarapa Age, 28 May 1936, Page 5

GREYTOWN CENTENARIAN.

CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAY TO-DAY.

Mrs. H. E. Knell, of Kuratawhiti Street, Greytown, celebrates her 100th birthday to-day. Except for being slightly deaf she possesses her faculties unimpaired and daily reads the newspaper, answers her correspondence personally, takes a keen interest in politics and is often engaged in knitting. Her memory is almost unequalled and she can readily recall many stirring incidents connected with the early days of the Wairarapa.

She is a daughter of the late Rev. Boor, of England, and after spending some years in Constantinople as English tutor to a Greek family—she could speak five languages—she came to New Zealand, arriving in Wellington 72 years ago in the ship Wild Duck. She was married at the Hutt shortly after her arrival in this country, her husband being then a Maori Missioner at Otaki. Seventy years ago she took up her residence in Greytown, Mr. Knell being Anglican minister for the Wairarapa and in that capacity he established the first four Anglican Churches in the district—St. Matthew's (Masterton), St. Mark's (Carterton), St. Luke’s (Greytown) 1 and St. John's (Featherston). In those days Mr. Knell travelled on horseback to conduct services in various parts of the district, which extended from Palliser Bay to Masterton. Mr. Knell died 37 .years ago. Scores of visitors from many parts of New Zealand have called on Mrs. Knell in the past few days and numerous telegrams and congratulatory messages, some of the latter coming by air mail from all over the world have already come to hand. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and Canon P*. James, of Wellington, have both sent their congratulations. Many more visitors and messages are expected to-day. Five members of the family of seven are

still living—Mrs. J. Bagnall '(Eastbourne), Miss A. Knell (Greytown), Messrs W. Knell i(Greytown), F. Knell (Greymouth) and L. Knell {Auckland). There are also 19 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Mrs. F. C. Cotter (Te Wharau) and Mr. Neville Ross (Masterton) are grandchildren. Mrs. Knell ascribes her longevity to living a happy and contented life. Although she frequently attended the pictures before the advent of the talkies she has never been since the latter were introduced.