OBITUARY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 179, 30 June 1937, Page 10

OBITUARY

MR R. H. SOLLITT. Having resided in Palmerston North for close on 50 years, the late Air Rupert Howe Sollitt, whose death occurred last week, saw a comparatively small township grow into the progressive city it is to-day, and, being a builder by trade over the whole of that period, it can be truthfully said that he participated in no small measure in the building of the city. The deceased gentleman was born in Kent 07 years ago, and came to New Zealand with his parents when about 10 years old in the ship Lady Jocelyn. They landed in Napier, and the family lived in Hawke’s Bay for some time. As a youth Mr Sollitt came to Palmerston North to continue in the trade which he had taken up in Napier, and he lived here until the time of his death. He was of a very retiring disposition, and he was held in the highest esteem by all with whom he came in contact. He was married in Palmerston North 46 years ago and leaves a widow and family of two daughters and or„si son —Mrs R. Stanton (Otahuhu), Mrs M. Wilson (Roy Street, Palmerston North), Messrs Fred (Wellington), Frank and Rex Sollitt (Palmerston North). A daughter. Miss Dorothy Sollitt, predeceased her father last year. AIR B. DE MALMANCHE. There passed away on June 25 at Dannevirke, Mr Benjamin de Malmanche, a member of a family wellknown throughout the Ashhuret and Woodville-Dannevirke districts. Air do Alalmanche spent the first 58 years of his life at Akaroa (Banks Peninsula), where he was born in 1841. There Air de Malmanche established a reputation as an expert in handling timber, his skill with the squaring axe being considerable. He had over 100 descendents. In addition to five sons and three a daughters, there are 29 grandchildren, 68 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. The funeral of the late Mr de Alaimanche took place on Alonday afternoon. A service in the Catholic Church was conducted by Rev. Father T. Guinane, who also held the service at the graveside in the Alangatere Cemetery. Relatives and friends from many parts of the Dominion were present. The. pall-bearers were Alessrs Robert de Alalmanche (a son, Auckland), Stanley de Alalmanche (a grandson, Dannevirke), AVilfred de Alalmanche (a grandson, Taumarunui), Charles de Malmanche (a son, Woodville), Alid de Malmanche (a grandson, Woodville) and Christopher Eddie (a son-in-law, Hukanui). References to the de Alalmanche family are contained in Air T. Lindsay Buick’s book. “The French at Akaroa.” Describing tho landing of the French colonists, Air Buick says: “To some of them the prospect was not alluring, and when he saw everywhere the dense bush and the steep hills, contrasting so strangely with his old home on the banks of tho Charon to River, tho pc re de Alalmanche, a. gardener from Rochefort, took a deep and desperate vow that never till lie had seen France again would he trim his beard. It was 16 years before he was able to make the voyage hack to France for the purpose of taking his two daughters home to be educated. By that time his beard had grown below his waist, hut the tyranny of its length could not induce the rugged Frenchman to break his resolution.” (The colonists landed in August. IS4O, and “the pere de Alalmanche” was the father of Mr Benjamin de Alalmanche.)