In the Public Eye.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume V, Issue 4, 1 January 1902, Page 275

In the Public Eye.

DDWAGER LADY TANCRED.

A familiar and striking figure in the Wairarapa, and at an earlier date in Canterbury, was the Dowager Lady Tailored, who died last month at Clareville at the age of eighty-three years. Lady Tancred, who was born Miss Jane Selby, married Sir Thomas Tancred in 183y, and landed with her husband in Lyttelton in 1851. After a few years' residence in

Canterbury, the Tancred family returned to Europe and travelled on the Continent. They sailed again for Lyttelton by the *' Pleiades" in 1872, and again settled for eleven years at Lyttelton. Sir Thomas died at Napier in 1880. Lady Tancred then settled at Clareville, Wairarapa, where she

lived up to the time of her death. She was buried with her husbund (it Napier. Lady Tailored left a family of four sons and threo daughters, the best known of whom is Mr. P. F. Tancred, a prominent, sportsman. There are also many grandchildren. The present Baronet lives in England.

MR. J. W. A. MARSH ANT.

Mr. J. W. A. Marciiant, late Commissioner of Crown Lands for Wellington, lias boon appointed to the Sur-veyor-Generalship, rendered vacant by tho retirement of Mr. S. Percy Smith. Mr. Marchant was born in 1841 at Belgautn, India, and is a son of the late Dr. Allnian, Surgeon to the King's Own Regiment. His father died when he was young, and Mr. Marchant took his stepfather's name. He was educated for a surveyor and engineer at Queen wood College, Hants, and served under his stepfather on the construction of a railway in Brazil. Later ho went to Victoria, and carried out extensive contract surveys after iB6O. Havir.g passed his examinations Mr. Marchant became a licensed surveyor in Victoria in 1868. He worked on the Victorian diggings for some months, and joined the rush to Otago in 1863. With others he pegged out a claim on the Clutha River above Cromwell, but the claim was flooded out, and he then settled down in Invereargill as a surveyor. He was about to leave for Queensland in 1875 when he was offered and accepted an appointment in the Crown Lands Office at Wellington. In 1870 Mr. Marcbant made a survey of the disputed goldfields boundary in Nelson.

The same year he was appointed Assistant Inspector of Surveys, and in 1875 Deputy Inspector of Surveys under the Native Land

Act. In 1876, the General Government having taken over the service, Mr. Merchant became first geodetic surveyor for the colony. Three years later he became Chief Surveyor for Wellington, and in 1884 Commissioner of Crown Lands. In 1891 he was transferred in these capacities to Canterbury, and in 1896 he returned to Wellington, still in the same capacities on promotion. It was Mr. Mavchant's report that induced the Government to reserve the Cheviot Estate for settlement. In 1882 Mr. Marchant and Captain Hewitt had a special station in the Wairarapa to observe the transit of Venus. . The results of their observations were incorporated with those taken all over the world to determine the sun's distance from the earth. It will be easily seen from Mr. Marchant's career that he is likely to fill his new position with credit to himself and considerable advantage to the Colony.

MR. JAMES MoKEKBOW.

Mr. James McKekrow, the retired Chairman of the Land Purchase Board, is one of the most valuable and trusted civil servants of the colony, which he has served for forty-two years. He was born at Kilraarnock, Scotland, in 1834, and received his education at the Kilmarnock schools, and afterwards at Glasgow University. He landed at Dunedin in 1859, and was appointed to the Provincial Survey Department. Two years later he was deputed to survey the mountain region of the province. This he completed in two years, and received the approval of the Government and of the Eoyal Geographical Society. He was engaged on the geodetic survey of the province until 1866, when he was appointed Inspector of Surveys. In 1873 Mr. McKerrow was promoted to the position of Chief Surveyor of Otago, in 1877 Assistant Surveyor- General, and in 1870 Surveyor-

General and Secretary for Crown Lands and Mines. After ten years' service in this position he was appointed Chief Railway

Commissioner, a position he filled with such conspicuous success that he was re-appointed for another term until Parliament decided to take over the management of the Colonial Railways. Before this term had expired Mr. McKerrow was appointed to the position which he resigned on January Ist. In that position he has given entire satisfaction throughout the colony, and his retirement, since he is still in the best of health, will be generally regretted. Under his advice the Government has purchased land valued at over £2,000,000.

MR. A. A. BARRON.

The successor to Mr. James McKerrow as Chairman of the Laud Purchase Board is Mr. A. A. Barron, lute Assistant SurveyorGeneral and Under-Secretary for Crown Lands. Mr. Barron was born in the North of Scotland, and educated at private schools

in Glasgow and in the North of Ireland. He landed in New Zealand in 1861, and entered the Otago Provincial Government's

service with the late Mr. Arthur, aftorwiirds Chief Surveyor of Otago. Ho subsequently became assistant ' engineer of roads and

bridges in the Provincial Engineer's Department. On tho abolition of provinces Mr. Barrou was selected as coadjutor to tho new Surveyor-General, Mr. J. T. Thomson in organising the Survey Department of tho colony. He took charge of tho Head Office in Wellington in August, 1876, as Superintendent Surveyor. In 1891 the Survey Department was amalgamated with the Department of Lands, and Mr. Barron was appointed Under-Secretary for Lands In 1896 he was appointed to the position of Assistant Surveyor-General, which he has occupied since. Tho work of the SurveyorGeneral has also been carried out by Mr. Barron since the retirement of Mr. S. Percy Smith.

MR ARTHUR DUNCAN, GOLF CHAMPION.

Mr. Arthur Duncan, who won the Golf Championship of New Zealand, played in Auckland last month, now holds this proud position for the third year in succession.

He is a member of the Wellington Club, and is comparatively a young player, having taken a prominent position soon after taking up the game. When it is borne in rr.ind that he was opposed on this occasion by such redoubtable golfers as the Gillies Brothers and Oolbeck, of Auckland, O'Eorke, Pearce, Pare Keiha, Tareha, A. A. Scott, etc., it will have to be conceded that he is facile princeps, Scott, however, retired, owing to indisposition, in the first round. In the final Duncan met W. B. Colbeck, and had not great difficulty in disposing of him, the game finishing at the twenty-ninth hole, when Duncan stood nine

up with seven to play. Colbeck played quite up to expectations, but was a trifle nervous at times, while Duucau, who made rather a bad start, played with perfect confidence throughout. On the second round he gave the best exhibition of golfing seen on the Auckland links. On both sides the driving was good, but in the second half of the first round Col beck was weak on the grass, and in the closing round Duncan got completely away from him. Duncan, although still a young man, does not confine his energies to golf, but is a first-class all-round sportsman.

The Natives of the North Island are the finest in physique. The Rangatiras are dignified, and many of the women aye particularly handsome. Here are two rival belles.