THE LATE MRS. GILES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1037, 28 January 1911, Page 3

THE LATE MRS. GILES.

Sir,—The reference' in this day's Dominion to the death of Sirs. Louisa S. H. Giles, wife of Dr. Joseph Giles (who was for many years magistrate at Westport, and who retired when a district judge, and now resides in Auckland) is not quite accurate as to some details that require corrections. Her descent from the great Admiral Drake was well-known—tne writer was acquainted with Mr. Drake, her brother, mid Mrs. Dr. Giles much over forty years ago at Westport, wbeu, by her personal endeavours in collecting funds, she. was principally tho means of building tho first English Church, of which tho Rev. B. W. Harvey, afterwards master of Wanganui College, was tho first incumbent. It was not in any Otago district, but in the district of Nelson Province, that was then known as the South-West Goldfields, that they resided on leaving 'J'auranga, after tho Maori War. Dr. Joseph Giles is ono of tho fast-lessening number who have gone through, in the servico of Great Britain, three of tho country's wars. First, he went through the Russian War, and after that was ordered to India during the Indian Mutiny, and afterwards to New Zealand, where ho put aside medicine for law. The writer remembers his kindness in coaching some young bankers at Westport, who preferred law to money-chang-ing—ono, a friend of the writer's, then a a bank official, is now one of our very distinguished Judges of the Supreme Court of Now Zealand. Mrs. Giles, when resident _in Westport, brought together the leading voices, male and female, in a musical union. They used to perform to raise funds for tho Westport Hospital, under the baton of Mr. Ambrose Moore, half-brother of Mr. Hugh Gully, of Bell, Gully, and Izard. Dr. Josenh Giles, although in tho nineties, is "still a distinguished writer ou very important subjects, and is counted ono of* Auckland's most valued citizens.—l am, etc., JAMES M'DOWELL. January 25.