SERVICE TO CHURCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 20, 14 April 1927, Page 13

SERVICE TO CHURCH

MR. A. N. JOWITT’S RECORD NEARLY 88 YEARS OLD Still faithfully serving his church though nearly 88 Is the record of Mr. Alfred Norton Jowitt, who will celebrate his birthday on Easter Sunday. Mr. Jowitt is still :■ carrying out his duties as clerk of the session at St. David’s Presbyterian Church. Mr. Jowitt was born in Leeds in 1839, and at the age of 18 he went to sea, sailing with the clipper Assyrian to China. Later, he made two voyages to New Zealand. On his first visit, which was in the ship Nimrod, he landed at Auckland in 1860. His second trip was made on the Ida Zeigler, which arrived in 1861. Gold had just been discovered in Otago, and in company with others, he went to the South. Landing at Port Chalmers, he went, with four others to the goldfields at Gabriel’s Gully. Later he took up sheep farming near Balclutha, and in 1867 married a daughter of Mr. Adam King, a well-known Otago shepherd. Some time later Mr. Jowitt bought a farm in the South Molyneux district. He helped to build the first day school and Sunday school at Ahuriri. In 18S5 he went into partnership as a flourmiller, but the mill was destroyed by fire, and he came to Auckland where he opened business as a grain and produce merchant. He later carried on the same business in partnership, but has been in retirement for several vears. Mr. Jowitt joined St. David’s Church in 1887, has been an elder of the church since 1889, and. has served as session clerk for the past 10 years.