OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 50, 16 August 1939, Page 4

OBITUARY

MR EDWARD LAW J.P. ... Very general regret was felt at,th*» " death on Thursday of Mr Edwas ■ L?av, J.P. Whakatane at the age : 75 and the well-attended funeral on August 12th testified to the esteem in which the late Mr Law was held. He was born at Tua Mas rina, Marlborough, on March 6tfc 1864, the son of Mr Joseph Law and Anne Law (nee Catrgill:) one of the first whitfc children bornin Nelson. Mr Law was married twice, .his firsts wife being Miss Janet- McMorriiJ whom he weeded on September 1885 at Tua Marina. - He commenced farming on his own account at th e age of 19 years on a property alongside Massacre Hill, Tua Marina,, the spot where, the New 1 . Zealand Company's party was killed by Te Rauparaha's men. In 1892 Mr Law sold this property, and purchas-~ ed a bush farm at Shannon on the Manawatu line. In, those days fcuslx felling was his chief work and the summer he did shearing Rangitikei and Hawke's Bay districts Mr Law's activities included military service, first in the Marlborough .Hussars, and later.-as lieutenant commanding the Shannon troop of the Horowhenua Mounted Rifles, this troop having the honour of send ing five of its members to the South African War in the early contingents. Despite the disadvantages of the life in those early days Mr Law took his place in sport, local body work and other district affairs. He was a steward and an official for the Shannon Racing Club during this body's existence. He took an active part in shooting, a.nd had forty years membership of rifle competing in the National Rifle Association's meet ing. Mr Law'fs local body associations included membership of the original* committee dealing with the flood control of the Manawatu and Orouat Rivers, *'th"s body beirig responsible for Hay's report of 1908; which mark ed the commencement of a general A system of flood control, the continual flooding of the rivers having caused very large stock losses. Mr Law was a member of the Makeru Drainage Board, and also sat on the Horowhenua County Council, and the Shannon School Committee out which he served for 11 years, includ ing a'term as chairman.

For many years he was a member of the Farmers' Onion, and he was a member of the Manawatu executive. He was chairman of the original directors of the Shannon Dairy , Company and piloted that concern through its first eleven years. He also served on the directorate of the Rangitikei Dairy Company. He won note as a breeder of Short horns for 40 and he was first _ president of the Milking Shorthorn Association of New Zealand. His experience made him a noted authority on the breed, and he judged - these cattle at most of New Zea* land's leading shows. He was an elder and an ardent member, of the Presbyterian Church, serving both at Shannon and Wh:ikatane. He also had a long tion with Freemasonry, being a foifridation member of Lodge Mangahao in Shannon. In 1918/ after the clos? of the Great War, he came to Wha_ katane district with his two returned soldier sonsj taking up virgin swamp land at Thornton, and set. ting about the task of bringing the land intoi production. He continued actively to farm until a few months } ago. His first family consisted of six sons and two daughters. One son, Harry, was killed on Gallipoli. By his second marriage he had two sons? and one daughter. The family which j mourns him is his widow (nee Georgianna three daughters Mrs W. W. Oberer (Ngakuru), Mrs _ F. T. Linseli , abeth and seven sons (Ihorn ton), Malcolm and lan (VVlmkatane) Archie (Rotorua), James (Ngakurn> William (Te Puke), and Ronald (Shannon). There are 19 grandchil_ dren. At the which was con J ducted under the Masonic rites by Worshipful Master C. S. Armstrong, the pall bearers were a brother, Mr James Law (Hamilton) ? and his sonsMessrs Wilfred, Archie, James, William and Ronald Law*.