CASTLE FOR SALE BY NEW ZEALANDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 243, 14 October 1939, Page 3

CASTLE FOR SALE BY NEW ZEALANDER

LONDON, Aug. 14. A New Zealanaer is to sen Bryn Bias Castle, which is reputed originally to have been one of the outworks of the Royal castle of Caernavon, Wales. Mi - . Duncan Eiliott Alves, who was born in Dunedin 69 yeaio ago, bought the castle after the war During his occupation he has spent about £150,000 in restoring and modernising it. 111-health, however, has compelled him Io leave Wales, and Bryn Bras is for sale. Mr. Alves Jell. New Zeaand with his parents over 50 years ago. As a young man he became interested in tne oil industry, and spent many years in Central America. He is the founder of the Imperial scheme lor securing and building up reserves of oil for British naval and national purposes in that region, and he assisted in founding a Chair of Oil Technology at Birmingham University. Mayor of Caernarvon. Five times in succession Mr. Alves has been Mayor of Caernarvon. He received the freedom of the borough in 1931. He was High Sheriff of Caernarvon in 1931-32. In the years he was associated with Caernarvon lie has proved a great benefactor to the town. It was largely due to him that the town undertook the financial risk of holding the Royal Welsh Show in 1929, and in 1927 he gave £2OOO toward providing a new town hall. Mr. Alves bought Sir James Barrie’s birthplace, Kirrieumiur. two years ago, and presented it to the nation. He die this to prevent it being transported “stone by stone” to America. He was a friend of Barrie’s, and he decided to save the cottage as a memorial 'lot purely philosophical reasons.”