LATE MR. EDWARD STAFFORD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2594, 16 October 1915, Page 3

LATE MR. EDWARD STAFFORD

TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY. A tribute was paid to the memory of tho lato Mr. Edward Stafford hi the Supremo Court yesterday morning, when His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) presided over _ a Full P-cnch of Judges and a gathering which included the two local Stipendiary Magistrates and the great majority of City members of tho legal profession. Sir Francis 8011, K.C., in addressing tho Court, stated that the late Mr. Stafford was known to all tho Judges before thoy had occupicd the Bench. Speaking on behalf of the profession throughout tho Dominion, Sir _ Francis ! 801 l spoks of the high esteem in which Mr. Stafford was always held. Although tho deceased gentleman had not, in recent years, appeared in Court a great deal, ho was honoured and respected because of tho manner in which ho carried out tho first duty of a legal man —that of enabling tho public so to guide their private affairs and their business relations that both should be within the lines laid down by the law, and so that litigation might beavoided. Sir. Stafford was the oldest member of the legal profession in Wellington. "Some of us," said Sir Francis Bell, "have known him for ovor forty years. All who have known him aud practised with him have learned to recognise how honourable, upright, and '"ust a. man lie was, how ' singularly laborious, and how careful he was in carrying out the work entrusted to him. We therefore desire to express tho respect and honour in which his riamo was held by those who havo practised with him. We also desire to send our joint message of sympathy with those of his own family, who have so sadly to mourn his loss."

The Chief Justice tben addressed the gathering as follows: "I have from, the Bench to express our great sympathy with the family of the late Mr. Stafford ill their sad bereavement. Personally I liavo known him for over forty years. I knew him when he was assistant in the Crown Law Office, and also when he practised in 'Wellington, and I always found him honourable and -upright, and always desirous of performing his function ns a barrister with credit to himself and with honour to the profession. He was well up m one branch of tho profession; lie was a great conveyancer. well acquainted with the law of real property. I think that what both tho Bar and the Bench feel may be somo slight consolation to his widow and family in their bereavement. He was a most conscientious man in the perfqrmoj'.cc of his duty, and you could always '.nut his word."

THE FUNERAL. 'Although the announcement was made that the interment of Mr. Stafford's body in tho Bolton Street Cemetery would be private, there was a large attendance at the funeral yesterday morning. The chief mourners were Mr. S. Stafford (son), Mr. Joseph Widdop (nephew), and Lieutenant-Colonel C. D. Mackintosh and Mr. J. W. Kinniburgh (brothers-in-law)._ Amongst others present were the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Sr Francis Bell (representing the New Zealand Law Society), Messrs. 11. F. Von Haast and 0. Beere (president and vice-president respectively of the "Wellington Law, Society), the Solici-tor-General (Mr. J. W. Sahnond), Mr. W. H. Field (a former partner of the deceased gentleman), Sir John Findlay, and' Messrs. C. P. Skerrett and C. B. Morison, K.C.'s. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. E. I. Sola, Acting-Vicar of St. Peter's.