OBITUARY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 169, 4 August 1937, Page 9

OBITUARY

Mrs. M. Stuart BoyJ By thc death of Mrs. Mary Stuart Boyd iin Auckland at the age of 76 New Zealand has lost a novelist -of distinction. She was the widow of tho late Mr. Alexander Stuart Boyd. an Englisk irtist and illustratOr. Mrs. Boyd wa>s born in Glasgow. She was married in 1880 and aceompanied her husb'and to London, where he contributed for many years to the G-raphie, Punch, Blaclc and "White. As an illustrator of books he gained wide recognition and he also earned distinetion as a watcr-coloUT painter, his work being exhrtTited at the Royal Aeademy and at other _ of the famous British galleries, In addition to being a notable eontributor to London magazines, Mrs. Boyd began a successful career as a novelist in 1900 with the publication of "Our Stolen Summer," aud this was followed by a further 10 books the last of which, ' ' The Mystery of the Custle, " was issued in 1911. Mrs. Boyd's library at her home at Takapuna coutained an amazing collection of first editions, many of which were signed by tho authors. Erequently these also contained illustrations by Mr. Boyd, who undertoolc a considerable amount of tliis work at the close of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd paid their first visit ,to New Zealand in about 1899 and following the death, an the Great War, of their only son, Lieutenant Stuart Boyd, a painter who had also exhibited at the Royal Aeademy, they took up residenee iu Auckland in 3920. Mr. Boyd died in 1930. Mrs. Boyd was one of the founders of the Penwomen/s Club and was also a keeu . supporter of the Workers' Educational Asgociation.