DEATH OF ROBERT M'MEILL.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 October 1901, Page 2

DEATH OF ROBERT M'MEILL.

(our own correspondent.)

'lt is with profound sorrow I have to report the sudden and unexpected death of one of the oldest and most respected, settlers in the Grey Valley, in the person of Mr. R. M'Neill, senr., of Ikamatua. The deceased gentleman, who appeared to be in his usual hearty state of health, was assisting his only son, Mr. E. J. W, M‘Neill, to pick out some seed potatoes in his barn at about 8 o'clock yesterday morning, when he suddenly complained of intense pain in his head and, falling into his sous arms, became unconscious. He was carried into the house, but never regained consciousness, and died at half* past two in the afternoon. Dr. Conlon, who had been wired for, arrived ? soon after death had taken place, and had no difficulty in certifying that the cause of the sudden event was cerebral hemorr* hage. The shock to his son and family must be imagined. The whole district was stunned at the sudden decease of one, whose life sejmed good for twenty years. It is not quite four months sine* deceased’s wife was buried in the Grey* mouth cemetery, and on Friday her husband will bo laid beside her. The late Mr. M'Neill. was one of thos» genuine sons of Scotia who, under s somewhat formal exterior, carry a heart of gold. He was, at the time of hi* death, 67 years of age, of which period, thirty-five years had keen spent in the Grey Valley. A native of the town of Dalrymple, Ayrshire, he was married ia Canada to his late wife, their son Robert bein" born at Montreal, whence tho family emigrated to Australia, and thence came in the old s.s. Claude Hamilton to Hokitika. Deceased and his late uncle and brother-in-law, Mr. David Donald, took up their first land at Totara Flat in the year of Dobson's murder, and had resided in the valley ever since! At the time of his death deceased was 8' Justice of the Peace, a director of thelocal Dairy Company, and Chairman of the Little Grey School Committee. He leaves * son and daughter-in-law with their six children to mourn the loss of one who was ever good to them.