DEATH OF MR G.L. MELLISH, R.M.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6503, 30 December 1881, Page 5

DEATH OF MR G.L. MELLISH, R.M.

It is with feelingc of deep regret—in which many hundreds of people in thli community wltt share—that we hate to record the death of Mr Georgs Lilly Hellish, the Beildent Magistrate for Christchurch. The malm* oholy feel was made known in the Court yei* terday morning, wtoiu Mr Q. L. Lee, tome, dtalely after taking hie seat on the Bench, announced that out of respect for tto memory I ®f Mr Mellieh. who had died that morning, I the Court would to oloeed during the day. j The decewed gentleman was, we toiler#, a nallfo of Guernsey. Ho woe educated at Fieter College, Oxford, and took a scholar, ship at Pembroke. As a Lieutenant In the English army, he »aw aetive eerric® during tto Crimean war i and about as yasre ago ho w*ie to Hot Ziiliodt tekiti| up & ruu at Lake Heron. Mr Mellieh eoon showed that to was prepared to fight for his adopted country, by «“l»ging in the war which took# out In the Waikato country i and to became Captain of tto 4th Waikato Militia, Sir Duncan Cameron being Com* maaderdmObief of the British forces. For some time, Mr Mellieh was a settler on the Prahhleton road, beyond Beard's, his location tomg at that time on the very edge of tho wilderness. In 1865 to beosmo a Resident Magistrate at Ploton, whence, after a few years, ho removed to Kaiapoi. The now magisterial district embraced a wide arcs, and necessitated tto Incessant toll of long journeys.

Mr Melltsh came to Ohristohureb, from Kaiapoi, on Deo. 16, 1874 j and nothing can totter typify tto esteem won by him from those who really knew him, than the almost affectionate regard always expressed towards him by the officers of the Court. If at times something of the martinet was observable in his manner, there were also instances Innumerable in which the kindly feelings and active sympathy of a Christian gentleman were manifested. Ho last sat in a civil ease on Deo. 19, and that case was adjourned sine die. Always anxious for the discharge of duty, and to promote the convenience of those who had business at the Court, Mr Mslllth left his room to take charge of the ease in question. But that strong will, which had sustained him through a long course of suffering, was to serve him no longer. He was so much exhausted by the sitting that assistance was needed to enable him to reach his home. He gradually grew weaker, and died at four o’clock yesterday morning, at tho age of 47. .