OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21416, 7 March 1935, Page 17

OBITUARY

* THE REV. JAMES COCKER The death occurred suddenly in Masterton yesterday of the Rev. James Cocker, former Methodist minister and prominent worker for prohibition, aged 73. He was stationed at various times at Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Ashburton, and Wanganui. Mr Cocker lived in Christchurch for about seven years, being first stationed at what was called the Durham Street South Mission, and later at the Cambridge Terrace Church. He was regarded by the church as a man of versatile gifis and a fluent preacher. He

THE ItEV. JAMES COCKEII was prominent in the Primitive Methodist Church before the onion in 1913,. and was president of the Primitive Methodist conference. lie took a particular interest in the orphanage work of the church. Mr Cocker left Christchurch for Mastcrton, where hi; health broke down; notwithstanding, he continued to take an active interest in the church. Born at Derbyshire in 1862, he was sent to New Zealand by the British conference in 1890. He was minister at the following towns: Ashburton (1890), Feilding (1895), Wanganui (1898). Wellington (1904), Auckland (1909), Christchurch (1913), Christchurch Central Mission (1913), Cambridge Terrace (1916), Mastcrton (15)15) to 1922). He was editor of the "New Zealand Primitive Methodist" from 1905 to 1913. president, of the New Zealand Methodist conference in 1900, editor of the "New Zealand Methodist Times" from 1915-19, and of the "New Zealand Vanguard" in 15)2i. He was also a prominent prohibitionist. and was at various times a member of several liecnsinj; committees.

Mlt J. A. I SHOWN Tin: floath has occurred at. tin- ago of years, of Mr James Alexander Brown, generally known as Mr Alislcr Brown, who wns at one 1 inn.' adverlising nianar.fr of the "Evening Post,'' and whose connexion with thai, paper cxtencletl over a period of nearly UO years. Mr Brown was a recognised authority in the Dominion 0:1 advertising anci was at one time a member of the Newspaper Propi ietoi Assoeiat ion's adverl ii 11commit :ee. Ju th'.' -10 years t.i 1 <1111;; with linearly 'twenties, few people were more widely known in the business, quarters of Christc'iurch ana Wellington than Mr Brown, from his lon;.', connexion with the ads'ei tisin:-', departments ol' different newspaper:.. Mr Brown was a native of Tasmania, and came to Auckland about t lie year JU72, when the Thames goUliield was in the fust Hush of its prosperity. For the first few yi ars of his New Zealand career lie was engaged in schoolteaching, first at I'iihoi. north of Auckland, and tnen at Thames. Afterward:; he became associated with Mr Robert Graham, who liati been one of the early Superintendents of the Auckland Province, and was one ol the most enterprising and far-seeing men oi the north, ft was Mr Graham who, anion:; many other undertakings, opened lip VVaiwera as a seaside resort. and first provided for public accommodation at Rotorua. He also leased from the Maoris And laid out Grahamstown, Thames, and was pioneer of the public grounds at Ellerslie. For some years Mr Brown was manager of the picturesque gardens which Mr Graham established at Ellerslie, on part of what is now the site of the Auckland Racing Club's wellknown course. Later. Mr Brown moved to Canterbury. There he was for some time a member of the commercial stall of the

"Lyttelton Times" Company, which then published, besides its daily issue, the "Canterbury Times" weekly. Mr Brown's functions were on both the business and the literary sides of the two papers. When the "New Zealand Times" became the property of Captain Baldwin, Mr Brown was appointed its business manager. Jn course of time lie relinquished this post to become the Wellington representative of "The Press." Finally, lie joined the staff of the "Evening Post," where he remained for the last 30 years of his active life, which was also the period of greatest expansion of the paper's inlktonee. His retirement from actual management look place in 1925, but for some time afterwards ha continued to act in an advisory position, for which his long experience admirably qualified him. Mr Brown was one of those business men who combined geniality of temperament with enthusiasm for his work, and he will bo greatly missed by a wide circle of friends. Mr Brown was a man of many activities. Gardening and music were two of his hobbies, and he was also a keen member of the Kelburn Bowling Club. MR THOMAS MILES One of North Canterbury's early settlers, Mr Thomas Miles, died at his residence, "Ngapara," Fernside, yesterday morning in his ninety-first year. Mr Miles has been a well-known sheep farmer in the Rangiora district for more than 50 years, and during that period has bought and sold large blocks of land in the Okuku and Fernside districts (North Canterbury), and the Te Pirita district (Mid-Canter-bury). Mr Miles was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1845, and 57 years ago he came to New Zealand. He settled in the Okuku district, and purchased an area of 1200 acres, as well as a block of 300 acres at Bullock's Hill. After some time he sold this land, and bought practically the whole of the Banner Downs and Wilder ("Ngapara") estates, the total area of which was approximately 1800 acres. At the beginning of the Great War he purchased about 2200 acres at Te Pirita, near Rakaia, but relinquished this about seven years ago. In recent years Mr Miles subdivided his original holding, two sons now farming some of the land which belonged to him. His farming activities have been confined principally to sheep, although in latter years he grew crops more extensively. In his earlier days Mr Miles was a very good hand shearer. He was recognised as one of the fastest shearers in the district, and held records for the number of head shorn in a day. Mr Miles visited England and America, and went abroad in 1902, and a second time in 1908. Mr Miles was very active, and up till a few days ago was engaged at work on his farm. He was, however, of a retiring nature, and did not take an active interest in public work to any extent. He was for six years a member of the old Ashley Road Board, and

was for a number of years on the Eolnirn school committee when he reside! at Okuku.

Before leaving England, Mr Miles married Miss Mary Jane Corbet, of Birmingham, who died about 40 years ac.o. There, were lo children, II of whom are still alive. They are Miss K. K. Miles (Fernside'. Mesdames A, Smith tFernside >. D. 11. Milne (Cheviot), S. LofThagcn uSefton), L. E. Teanue (Cheviot). Messrs T. C. Miles 1 Russell's Flat). O. Miles < 1-Ia warden). James Miles (Fernside), Herbert Miles iCust), Henry Miles iCust), and John Miles (Fernside,).

MR O. W. HOLMES

,1-snnii riiEs* *?!»<>• ivru.s r.t r.i,EU r.e. 1 r.i.r.r, KM'il - a or'i Hit. 111.) WASHINGTON, March li. The death has occurred o£ Mr Oliver Wendell Holmes, a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. On Friday he would have been 94. He was a son of the famous author, and one of America's most famous jurists of recent generations.