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Wairarapa Standard, Volume 8, Issue 791, 30 November 1878, Page 2

It ia our painful duty this day to record the death and burial of Captain Stephen Carkeek, J.P., late of Featherston, the former of which took place suddenly ou Wednesday morning, at his residence, and the latter yesterday ofternoou at the Featherston cemetery. It was only last week he was at this office, when he appeared in good health, and was in the enjoyment of such a flow of animal spirits as struck us as being most remarkable in a man of his years. Captain Carkeek was formerly an officer in the Royal Navy, and about the year 1842 was appointed Collector of Customs at Nelson. He was subsequently removed to Wellington, where he filled the offices of Collector of Customs and sub-Coionial Treasurer. In 1851 he was summoned to the General Legislative Council, by the then Governor-in-Cbifif, Sir (jeorce Grey: and four years later be was a candidate for a seat in tho House of Representatives for the city of Wellington, and though unsuccessful, he was only a very few votes lower on the poll than Dr Featherston. On the breaking out of the Taranaki war, in 1860, he was appointed Captain in the Militia, and shortly after he was unanimously elected Captain of the Wellington Rifle Volunteers, in which capacity he had a valuable testimonial presented to him by that Corps. Some ten or eleven years since he retired from the Government service, and purchased a small estate at Featherston, where he has ever since resided. A few weeks ago he took a trip to Taurauga, and was so pleased with the voyage and the district that he resolved to spend the remainder of his life at the seaside, and either purchased, or was about to purchase a small estate there with that object.' Captain Carkeek, on accouit of his unassuming, studious, and retiring habits, was not so well-known, as he would have otherwise been, to the present generation of New Zealand colonists; but by old settlers he was both well-known and highly esteemed, ou account of his many sterling qualities. He was a first-class accountant, having in that capacity few equals, and as sub-Tieasurer hundreds of thousands of pounds passed through his hands, without having any clerical assistance, and without any error having ever once been made in his books. He was some time a member of the Provincial Board of Audit, in which capacity it was our privilege to first make his acquaintance, and to receive from him many valuable lessons in official book-keeping, for which we have never since ceased to feel grateful. He believed himself to be, and was generally considered, the first astronomer in the Colony, and he has we know left behind him numerous Valuable notes and observations which he only last week promised to ns on his leaving .or Taurnnga. His eldest son will be glad to know how happy it made his father to hear of his heroic, successful, and humane efforts to rescue the passengers and crew of the City of Auckland, recently wrecked on the West Coast, shewing, as he expressed it, “ that be was a chip off the old block.” For a man of his sterling and unassuming worth we shall never look on his like again.