MR. WILLIAM HOLLEY, LEESTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 6, 7 February 1907, Page 19

MR. WILLIAM HOLLEY, LEESTON.

(From our Ghristchuroh oorrespondent.) There passed away on Monday -morning, ■ January -2s, at Leestou in the person of Mr. vVilliam " Honey, a very old resident oi Canterbury, and one honored, respected, and .esteemed far beyond the conluies of the Eliesmere district. As an exemplary Laiholic he had', during a long and arduous life, unvoted Ms best, energies to ihe well-being and~ advancement ot the Uiurch he loved so well. ivir. Hoi- ' ley was born in Herefordshire in 1827, and in 1602 came out to Melbourne. ±-ie~ followed various golddiggings for some time, and subsequently , turned Ms attention to road-carrying and trading in horses, and was amongst the earliest shippers ot horses from Melbourne to New Zealand. In ' 1868 he came to Mew Zealand, and lived at Invercargill for about twelve months. He then caiue overland to Ohristchurch with a mob of horses, and had lived in the North Uanterbury district ever since. He carried on an exfen- ■ .sive trade in draught horses, and was- noted "as. a successful breeder, importer, and exhibitor of those animals at our 1 Agricultural Shows. Mr. Holley was recognised as a competent judge of draught horses, and was a .well-known ligure on* the principal show grounds in that? capacity. He acted as Judge at the ' iirst Agricultural Show held at Kangiora, and filled a similar position at the first Agricultural Show at Christchurch. In. 1882 Mr. Holley took: up land in the Leestoh district, ' and carried on mixed farming on a large scale, until he retired about ten years ago. The deceased leaves a grown-up family of five sons and two daugnters. The funeral obsequies ' of the late IMr. Holley took place "on the following Thursday. Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Church of St.John the Evangelist by the Rev. Father Holley, S.M. (son of the deceased), the Rev. Father Mahony, pastor, of the district, assisting. The following clergy '- were also present :— The Very. Rev. Dean Regnault (Waimate),_Rev. Fathers Kerley (Temuka), Ahem (Darfield), Richards (Lincoln), Uoggan (Teniiika), • Walsh . (Lower Hutt),, Hickson _\St. Mary's, Manchester street), Bowden (Timaru), and O'Connell (Christchurch). ' The funeral cortege was over a mKle long. The four sons of the deceased were pall-bearers.— R.l.P.