PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 7

PERSONAL ITEMS

A Renter's message announces, the death of Sir James Cayzer. This is probably meant for Sir Charles Oayzer, head of the firm of Cayzer, Irvino and Co., Ltd., steamship owners. Tho Nelson Presbytery has nominated tho Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, of Wellington, as Moderator for tho General Assembly for 1 1917.—Press Association. Mr. T. Bland, J.P., has been advised that his son. Corporal H. G. Bland, has been killed in aotion in France. When war broke out Corporal Bland was in the employ of E. W. .Mills and Co., and he enlisted and became a member of the force which went, to Samoa;' On roturning to New Zealand ho left for Europe with tho Ninth Reinforcements. While in Wellington he was a prominent member of the South ■ "Wellington Football Club and the Newtown Oddfellows' Lodge. , Among the returned soldiers who arrived here yesterday was Captain John B. Davis, son of Major Davis, (of Davis and Clater), who was wounded in Franco in May last. Captain Davis left Wellington with the Main Expeditionary Force, "aiid i saw a good deal of action at Gallipoli. For the, fifteenth year in, succession Mr. J. B. Haroourt has been elected president of the Wellington Racing Club. In returning thanks for the honour conferred upon him a,t the annual meeting yesterday, ho,said that ho was proud to hold the position. . News has been received to the effect that Mr. Horace Cocker, Judge's Associate, .. and son of the Rev. James Cocker,: of Christchurch, has been made a Feliow of the Royal Eoonomio Society _ (Cambridge, , . Eng.). Mr. Cooker is well known in Wellington. News -was received yesterday that Gordon Leonard M'Donald, son of Mr. Lewis M'Donald, of Moxham Avenue, Kilbirnio, was killed in action in September, in! France, The late Mr. M'Donald was educated at St. Anne's Catholio School, Newtown. At the ripe age of over 85 years, there died, on Sunday last_ one of' tho uow small' and fast-dwindling band of very early colonists in the persons, of Mrs. Wilmot, the mother of the present Surveyor-General of tho Dominion. -. Tho youngest but one, at tho time, of a family of five, she came out from England to Australia with her parents in, 1835, eighty-one years ago.There she grew up, living at various times; in' South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, and there she was married. She resided in Melbourne when it was. only a hamlet, and watched its growth'into a large_ city: and for a time lived, in ' .Adelaide, then a comparatively small place. Early in 1863, when the newly-discovered • gold diggings were getting into full swing in Otago, she came over to New Zealand, the voyage being made in a small schooner, the Olympia, and occupying fourteen days, not a bad _ passage in those days. ' She settled in Dunedin, and during a residence there of over twenty years she marked its rise from a straggling town with clay streets, no drainage or lighting systems, or water supply, into a fino, well-built modern city. ' In 1884 Bhe went to Queenstown, when, with her son, then District Surveyor there, she lived for over twenty years. After short residences in Hokitika and Invercargill, she returned to Dunedin, living there for five years, and then coming to Wellington, where the last two years of her life were passed. ■ Of a quiet and retiring disposition, she had a charm of manner and of character that endeared her to those who were privileged to know her. Her husband predeceased her many years, but she leaves behind her, besides her only son, two sisters older than herself, resident in Australia, a sister, Miss Little, residing in-Wellington, and a brother, Mr. S. H. Little, of Devonport, Auckland.''-' • Tho 'Rev., Father Doro,. well known in Wellington, and formerly of Kaiko'ura and-Foxton, who has been "padreing" , with the New Zealand Forces, returned to Wellington yesterday by the Mararoa, haying returned from England by the Willochra. Father DoreJ who won tho Military Cross for gallantry on the field, had to , limp ashore on crutches, a sad wreck of his former bright self. It was at Gallipoli that a man was wounded near a trench where "Padre" Dore was sheltering. Under a heavy fire, he went out to bring the man in, and whilst stooping to pick him up was phot in the back. The spine was injured by the bullet, and as the result of that injury one of tho good priest's legs has lost its usefulness. There ia still a hope that the limb may become useful again, but it is likely to be a long process, if it happens at all. Quite a number of the "padre's", friends were on the wharf to meet him, and givo liim a hearty welcome back. ' After, two years'" service, Constable -H. J; Marks, of the Taranaki Street Polioe. Station, has resigned his position. Ho leaves for the north to-day. . Captain, Hylton Colin Meiklo, who is reported to bo wounded, is a son of Mr. and -MrsJ David Meikle, of Grange Road, Mount' Eden. He was born in Auckland, in 1894, and was educated at : the'-Mount; Eden publio school. Ho left the Grammar School, where he was a master, to join the Expeditionary -Force. At the outbreak of the war he was holding a lieutenant's commission, but ho afterwards obtained a captaincy. He passed his final examination as a barrister and, solicitor in 1915, then, being 21, and having also' passed Iris B.A. degree. No information has been-received as to the nature of his wound". ■ : Captain Robert Oliver Brydon, reported .killed in action on September 16; was the Oldest son of the late Mr. Robert Brydon, of Dargaville. He was 26 years of age, and was born and edu- . catedi at -Dargaville. Ho was for some time'in the office of the railways there, and at the outbreak of war was in the Wanganui office. Ho sailed for Samoa with the Railway Engineers, in which he held a oommission. Returning to New Zealand at the beginning of last year, ho wont into camp, and waß to ItaTO left with the. engineers later, but was transferred to the Ist Battalion Rifle Brigade. Ho sailed in_ charge of an advance party of the .brigade, and ort arrival in Egypt was promoted to the rank of captain. He was wounded last January, when his battalion was engaged on tho "Western frontier, and was ■ incorrectly reported killed about this time. Captain Brydon leaves ono sister and: two brothers, one being Sergeant-Major Brydon, of Whangaroi; ' who, while with the Main Body on Gallipoli, wias severely -wounded, and invalided home in July last year.