PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 85, 14 April 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The death of Mr James Johnson, sole survivor of the wreck of the Dunbar, is announced from Sydney. Mr. Kattanach, second member of the Waters Supply Commission, lias been appointed to succeed Mr, Elwood Mead, states a cablegram from Melbourne. Mr H. W. Douglas, of Newton King’s Stratford staff, was married on 2nd April at St. James’s Church, Wellington, by the Rev. W. Sbirer, to Mi ss May (Maidu) only daughter of the late Charles Forrester Monteith, of Woodville, and Mrs W. Murdoch, of Wellington.

Mr Arthur C. Thompson, brother to Mr J. Harry Thompson, of Stratford, and well-known as a member of the Bank of New Zealand staff in this town and more recently at Kaikoura, joins the Expeditionary Reinforcements at Trentham this week. Mr Waldo Thompson, another brother, went -away with the first New Zealand force, and has consequently already seen service. Mr W. W. De Castro, District Land Registrar and Deputy-Commissioner of Stamps at Invercargill, yesterday completed forty years of duty in the public service, but, though he can now retire at will on full pension, lie does not contemplate taking that step immediately-. Mr De Castro joined the Government Life Insurance Office on April 14th, 1875, at Wellington, and three years later was transferred to the Lands and Deeds Office, in 1880, His first move came when he went to Christchurch. After two years in the Canterbury capital, he was transferred to Hokitika, where he remained until .Inly, 188(5. Then he went to* Blenheim as chief clerk in the Lands and Deeds Office, and Deputy-Commission-er of Stamps. In Nelson Mr De Castro remained for twenty years, leaving in 1912 for Invercargill, where he succeeded the late Mr Pauling as Deputy Land Registrar and Deputy Commissioner of Stamps. Mr De Castro has an excellent record in the Department, and in Invercargill has won the respect and esteem of all doing business with Ids office.

Death has removed from our midst (states the New Plymouth News) another of the sturdy pioneers of Taranaki, Mr Nicholas Golding, who had reached the exceptional age of 97 years last December. On his 97th birthday the old gentleman was wonderfully well, and he retained the full use of his faculties until the hear approach of the end. Latterly, however, his health gradually failed, as the result of a bout of influenza, and be sank. Death came somewhat suddenly at about seven o’clock last evening. The Into Mr Golding was a native of the North of Ireland. He came to New Zealand in 1860 with the 65th Regiment. in which be was a sergeant. Ho went through the Taranaki Maori war, and was present at W aireka and several other engagements. After tho close of the war Mr Golding was for many years principal warder at the New Plymouth prison. He was a iiiom|,or of several lodges and societies, including the De Burgh Adams, New Plymouth Friendly Society, Foresters, Orangemen, and Good Templar®. He was twice married, and Airs Golding survives him. Of the family there are living two daughters, Airs E. M. Smith, of New Plymouth, and Mrs Hickman, wife of Constable i. Hickman. and the only son, Air E. A. Golding, of New Plymouth.