PERSONAL MATTERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8910, 9 November 1907, Page 5

PERSONAL MATTERS.

Mrs Stone, wife of Mr J. T. Stone, Stock Irispeotor, and daughter of the Hon. T. Thompson, died yesterday. Her death was due to complications following influenza.

Sir Arthur Dorward, X.0.8., D.5.0., who was a passenger by the Marama to Wellington from Durban, is general officer commanding in South Africa, and has served with distinction in China and elsewhere. He is on six months' leave of absence, and has come to New Zealand to fish before returning to his command.

Mr Wm. Felton Peel, of Hawleyhill, Blackwater, Hants., senior partner of Messrs Peel and Co., cotton merchants, who died recently, left estate of the value of £258,990. His will is made on a sheet of thin notepaper, and thereby, in one hundred and fifty words, he left the whole of his property to his widow.

Mrs Seddon has just received" from Home a beautiful oak reading desk, which she is giving to the church at Kumara in memory of her late husband. Mrs Seddou is also presenting a handsomely-carved oak pulpit to St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington, also in memory of the late Premier.

Mrs Borrie, wife of Mr Donald Borrie, chairman of the Waitaki County Council, died at her residence, Papakaio, Oamaru, yesterday morning. The deceased lady lauded at Port Chalmers from the ship Maori in 1857, and has been a resident of the Oamaru district for over forty-two years.

News has been received that Miss Daphne Werry has entered Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, for her University course. Very much is expected of this Wellington-born scholar, as she is taking a scholarship to Oxford, aud has won several notable victories in difficult examinations besides, and her age is under eighteen years. At yosterday's meeting of the Featherston County Council Mr Geo. T. Stewart, engineer, handed in his resignation on the ground that Councillors would not be advised by him. It was accepted with regret, and will take effect at the end of the financial year. He was granted six months leave on full pay.

Constable A. Gregor, who left this morning for Fiji,'where he has received an appointment as Sergeant of Police, was presented by some Masterton friends, last evening, with a handsome travelling bag. The presentation was made at the Central Hotel, the proprietor, Mr F. Cooper, expressing good wishes for Sergeant Gregor , s future, his remarks being endorsed by others. During his few months' appointment in Masterton the recipient established himself as a favourite with his comrades aud the public alike, having shown himself a conscientious and tactful officer. '

A private message was received in Mastertou to-day conveying the tidings that Mr Fred Barratt, who met with such serious injuries by au acetylene explosion several weeks ago at Levin, and who has been under treat meiit at the Wellington Hospital ever since, passed away last night. From the first but little hopes were entertained of his ultimate recovery, and as he was unable to move or speak, and apparently suffered much, death must have been to him a release. The late Mr Barratt was a brother of Mrs J. R. Nicol, of Mastertou, who, with the other relatives, will have general sympathy in their bereavement.

Mr David Hall, who for many years acted as city missionary in Wellington, died at Newtown yesterday morning, aged seventy-four years. The deceased was born in Coventry, England, and had lived in New Zealand for sixty-six years. He was married here forty-one years ago. The family consists of Mr James Hall, of the Government Printing Office staff, and Mrs Clark, of the West Coast. The deceased was El maii who did much, good in his time. He was of a niosfi benevolent disposition, and was greatly respected.

Steps are being taken at Home to erect a public memorial to the late Sir James Ferguson, at one time Governor of New Zealand, and also institute a fund for some benevolent purpose to be associated with his name. When the mail left London on 20th September, the fund amounted to over £1500, including subscriptions of £100 each from the Earl of Eghuton and Winton and the Duke of Portland. Subscriptions may be sent to Mr James E. Shaw, Couuty Buildings, Ayr, Clerk of Lieutenancy.

The Paraparaumu correspondent of the Otaki mail writes:—lt is with sincere and deep regret that I am compelled to chronicle the awfully sudden death of Mr Jack Threadwell. It appears that he was disc-harrowing ou his farm at Otaihauga, there being only two children, the oldest about five years of age, at home with him, and one of the latter found her father dead in the field. The children are unable to give any very definite information, but as there appears to have been no accident, and in the absence of any marks of violence, it is surmised that heart disease was the cause of death.

Ceuteuarians are becoming quite plentiful now. It is recorded that the death occurred at Brighton, England, of Captain William Skipwith, formerly of the 47th Regiment, in his hundredth year. He was the second son of a family of ten sous and eight daughters, of Sir Grey Skipwith, formerly of Newbold Revel, Warwickshire, and. was born on 2nd December, 1807. Hβ was great-uncle of the present baronet, Sir Grey Humberston d'Estoteville Skipwith, who was born in 1884, and succeeded his father in 1891, and was the second heir to the title. He married, in 1843, a daughter of Mr Edward Moraut Gale, of Upham House, Hants. The late Captain Skipwith has, it is understood, relatives in New Zealand.