LINK WITH PIONEERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 57, 30 November 1937, Page 6

LINK WITH PIONEERS

Descendant of Marsden Dies [ A 'link with the early days of missionary activity in. New Zealand has 'been removed'by the death of Miss Elizabeth Betts, - one of the three sur- : viving grand-daughters of the Rev. Samuel Mars.den, who was known as "the Apostle- of New Zealand." Miss Betts, who was 88 years of age, died at.her home, Wilmington, ' Gladesville, New South Walcs, after a short illness^ Miss Betts and her sister, Mrs Blaxland, were -the only surviving children of Josiah Betts and his wife, who was formerly Martha Marsden, the youngest daught'er 'of the famous missionary, the 'Rev. S. Marsden. Martha Mars-, den accompanied her father to New Zealand on his last visit in 1873, and was with him' at Parramatta nntil his death the following year. Martha Marsden 's jourbal of that visit is in the Mitchell Library. The Betts. family was also related to the Marsdens through the ' marriago of Mary Marsden, another danghter, to Mr John Betts (the brother of Josiah Betts, of Parramatta). Mr and Mrs Josiah Betts settled at Wilmington, near Windsor, ,on the latter 's origina! grant, and there several of their .children were born. After the death of her husband, Mrs Betts was for many years in charge of the orph^n school at Parramatta. Miss Betts was her mother's companion until- her death in 1894. ( ' ' A keen Marsden enthusiast, Miss Elizabeth Betts represented her family at the .Marsden centenary celebrations at-the Bay of Islands in 1914, when she was accompanied by heT 'cousin, Miss Marion Marsden,. a daughter of Bishop. Samuel Edward Marsden, first Bishop of Bathurst, and subsequently assistant Bishop oi Gloucester,England. Miss Betts assisted both Archdeacon S. M. Johnstone and Mr Eric Ramsden with their recent books on the Rev. Samuel Marsden. As recently as. last year she wrote a 'foreword for tlie la'tter 's "Marsden and the Missions." Throug'houfc' her life Miss Betts was keenly interested in the welfare of the Maoris, the r ace for • which her grandfather did so much, and whenever any Maoris visited Sydney they invariably paid her a' visit. Princess Te Puea Herangi, one of the leaders of the race, was among her „ correspondents, and they had been hoping that they would rneet in Sydney next year.