OBITUARY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 31 August 1908, Page 4

OBITUARY.

MR GORDON FORLONG

It is with much regret we announce the death of another of Wanganui's oldest and most respected settlers, in the person of Mr Gordon Forlong, who passed away at Rongotea yesterday at tho ripe old age of bK) years. The deeeasea, who was born in 1819, was the second soil of' William Forlong, of Mount Erins, Loch Syne-side. His mother was the daughter of General Gordon, of Park Hill, Titlurg. He was. educated at Glasgow Grammar School5 and Edinburgh University, and passed to the Scottish Bar in 1842 being head of the list for that year; he gained some distinction as an advocate in the Supreme Court. He was one of the priiue movers, and acted as general secretary in the institution known aa the "Bank of Character and Skill," in which he was associated with! Lord Kinnaird, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord -Aberdeen, and others. This was an institution formed at the time of the cotton famine to give employment to men and women of good character and skill. Mr Forlong was one of the leadera an the great religious revivals m the South of Scotland in 3860 and 1865. In 1868 he went to England and built a large iron church kno^n^as the Talbot Tabernacle in the W^ of London, capable of accommodating--j 600 people. He preached there for. eiglit; years. On account of ill-health 1h» gave the <york up, and came'with his family to New Zealand. They left Englandl in the Dunbritton on May 2nd, 1876, arriving in in August of the same year. In *Sew Zealand he took up a farm in the Rangitikei. In 1880 he went to Dunedin, where he again took up evangelistio work, his clear, logical, and forceful preaching- drawing large crowds. About 1885 he' removed to Wanganui, where he resided until about three years ago, when he went to Rongotea, where he passed away at Mr William Darragh's residence on Sunday, 30th August. Mr Gordon Forlong was a distinguished Greelf;arid Hebrew scholar, having given &uck*time to the study of the Scriptures in) the original. He was married twice.-^His first wife was Miss Laura Aratey, :$ t Bath, England. By her he had t^O.daughters-1-Mrs Stephen Jacob, of Upper Norwood, England, widow of- Mr Stephen Norwood (Indian Civil Service), late Secretary of State for liidia; and Mrs Alfred Bloomfield, wife of>: Col Bloomfield, of Studholme, Suffolk, England. In 1856 he married1 Mjss Elizabeth Anna Houlton, daughter of; cthe" late I>r. J Houltony Pr^d(E^vofS|K^R^LiPbii^; sophical r, '^i^^i:'9t^^^U:^^r-iJii^-marriage he 'hM-;*eleT6iiV!6j£wren,«seven of whom survive him, vizlyj^t. G> Forlong, dentist, of Wangaiiiii; I>. G. Forlong, farmer, of Maxwslt6wn; P. G: forlong, land agent, of Wjmganuiy Mrs ■S' D!^yley Sno^» of X; Mrs ■ Wm, Slane, of ~vß6y«iiport, -Auckland; Mrs Cecil Haycock, of Millerton, Westport; Mrs Frederick Harrison, of Waitotara. There are also 38 grandchildren. Mjt Houlton F/orlong, the eldest son, who was a missionary, predeceased his father iby about three weeks, leaving a wife and three children. The news of Mr Gordon Forlong's decease will be" received with regret, and we tender our sympathy to the bereaved relatives. ~