OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16161, 15 March 1918, Page 2

OBITUARY.

Mr James Izctt, for many years a prominent figure in journalistic and Pa rli amen tan.- circles in Zealand, :liod in Wellington on Tuesday, at the 'ago of 82 years. Bom in fccot' - land, °ho arrived as a boy with his parents in Victoria. Coming to Now £ealand with his wife and family, he joined the ranks of pressmen, and jdited the Christ-church '"Star" for some Teal's. Then he joined the Parliamentary staff in "Wellington, and for many -vears a£tod as committee cleric, besides" doing, a great deal of work in connexion with tho Parliamentary paper? and official records. During his declining years Mr Izott devoted h'js time to literary pursuits and tho study of ethnographic questions. He leaves a widow and grown-up family. Tho musical community in Wellington lias sustained a loss through tlie death of Mr Abraham (Fred.) Biilman, which occurrcd at the SVellLngton Hospital on Tuesday. Born m Lancasniro nearly seventy years ago, Mr liillman came out to New Zealand with his parents in the barque Alma, landing in Wellington, and he remained a resident of that place up to the time of his death. tie learned the trade of a carpenter, and erected a large number of buildings in various pans of the district. music was his nobby. For many years ho was musical director of tno Taranaki street Methodist Sunday-school, and in that' position ho did very fine work. He was twice married, and lias left a widow and six grown-up children, and twenty grandchildren. There are two sons —Mr Fredk. Billman, coachbuildcr, of Fcilding, and Mr "Walter Billman, of Messrs Edward Poarce and Co., Wellington, and four daughters —Mesdames L. James and Waddell (both of Timaru), and Mesdames James Wilson and Buckley Joyce (of Wellington). The doath is announced of a highlyesteemed Poverty Bay settlor, Mr Reginald Henry Image, of Matawhero. Born in 1861 in Barbadocs, West Indios, Mr Image was educated at Wellington College, England. Ho came out to New Zealand as a young man. and took up shcepfarming, joining his uncle, the late Mr Woodbine Johnson, as a cadet. Ho leaves three grown-up daughters, the eldest being Mrs R. Amhridge, of Christchurch. The death is announced of Mr Charles Gray, of Waiohika, who had been a residont of the Poverty Bay district for over 41 years. Born in Godmanchester, near Huntingdon, England, in 1840, he'was educated at Brighton College. In his early years ho displayed a roving disposition, spending eleven years at sea, in the course of which he had many exciting experiences whilst engaged in blockaderunning during tho American civil war. Before retiring from the sea, which he did in 1870, he rose to the rank of captain. Engaging with a brother in the pastoral industry in Queensland, the late Mr Cray spent a. number of years there, and eventually crossed over to Now Zealand and settled down in Poverty Bay as a pastoralist. He acquired tho well-known Waiohika property on the Ormond-Whataupoko road. Mr Gray lost his/first wire in 1880, shortly after their arrival in the district. He subsequently married* a daughter of the late Bishop W. L. Williams, of Waianu. The surviving daughters include Mrs Blunt (India), Mrs Ormorod (Ruakituri), and Miss Gray. Tho eldest son, .Mr L. Gray, is on the Lake Coleridge hydro-electric staff, whilst the second son, Mr D. Camplin Gray, is managing the property at Waiohika, with a younger brother. The third son, Sydney holds' a commission with, the Indian Army, and tho youngest, Douglas, is a flightlieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps. Mr James Brown, who died at Gisborne on Saturday, was a native of Glasgow*, and cmuc to New Zealand with his parents when six years of age. Ho served an apprenticeship to tlio engineering trade at Wilson's foundry, Dunediu. and was for some time in tho employ of the Union Company. In 1867 he settled :n Gisborne, and conducted a successful engineering establishment. He gave up busine&£ to take ehargo of tho refrigerating machinery at Nelson Bros. Taruheru freezing works, and subsequently took over, control of the plant of the Gisborne Freezing Works, resigning in 1897. For a time he was in business on his cwn account, but retired and practised as a consulting mechanical engineer, and as such took an important, part in the development of the timber industry in the Matawai and Mot'i districts, in which he had large financial interests. lie was a member of the Gisborne Borough Council for many years, also of the Harbour and Hospital Boards, and the School Committee. In musical matters Mr Brown took a prominent part in tho. early days of Gisborne, being bandmaster for many years, arid conductor of the Choral Society; also being a member of the Orchestra] Society. He leaves a widow, one 6on, and two daughters. Mr M. C. Corliss, who died at Wanganui on Sunday, joined tho New Zealand Telegraph Department 48 years ago, and steadily advanced through the various grades until ho became superintendent. Ho was transferred to Wanganui in 1 1 J1A, and filled tho position of superintendent until July of last year, when he retired on pension. Mr Corliss was married twice, and leaves a family of 12 children. One son (Cuthbcrt) was recently wounded during the Palestine fighting, and is in a Cairo hospital, while another has just returned home, having been wounded in the Messine: battle.