OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR. PETER SPEEDY.

The recent .'death of Mr. Peter Speedy 'at Belmont removes one. of the earliest settlers of- the Hutt district. .A son of the late Mr. David Speedy, who arrived her on the Lord William Bentinck in .1840, Mr. Speedy was bom near Pipitea pa in 1841. He_ went as a child with his parents to live at what has been known for many years now as Belmont about 1844. His earliest days were passed under conditions associated .with the early settlers in the' outlying districts. During the Native this family, with many others,1 wer. e compelled to withdraw to the vicinity of the Hutt stockade. The family grew with- the development of ,the district. The facilities for education i were few ; but. young Speedyl received sufficient tuition, from the. Rev. Mr. Dron, at the Presbyter* ian Church at the Hu,tt. At quite an early rage Mr."Speedy did lm share of ■'the work on this selection in the Valley, assisting in felling the timber, and took his turn in the' sawpits. As the ground was cleared he helped in the growing of wheat on the .natural terraces on the hillside just below, the Belmont station, la 1868 Mr. Speedy .married a daughter of the late William Scott Milne,-himself .a well-known early settler,. who arrived by the Lady Nugent in 1841. Mr. Milne then lived at Taita,- on the opposite bank of' the Hutt river. Mr. Speedy confined his attention to sheep, as being the most suitable to the land. During the later troubles with the Natives, Mr. Speedy joined the local volunteers. The neighbourhood of Mr: Speedy's residence is of particular historical interest, as.it is situated almost opposite the site of Boulcott's stockade," the scene of the attack -by hostile Natives in 1846, arid at the mouth of the gully through which the " Pari-rahoo." track runs/ by which those Natives came from the- vicinity of Pahautanui. It will be remembered that this wa.s the route followed by the friendly Natives, and. some of the local militia, when a move was made to attack Rangihaeta in the Pahautanui pa. The late Mr. Speedy, who was a man of retiring disposition,' and took no part in local affairs, is survived by his widow and a family of ten children. There are seven daughters—Mrs. T. M'lvor, Featherston; Mrs. J: M'Leod, Palmerstori North; Mrs: J. D. Skinner, Feilding;,.Mr. V. Farquhar, Palmerston North; Mrs. J. Keir, Seatoun Mrs. F. Mason, Belmont; and, Miss H. Speedy— and three sons—Messrs. D. Speedy, of Wbakaronga; W.. A. Speedy, HomeMason, Belmont; and Mies H. Speedy; Belmont.. There are nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.