MR DAVID BERRY. PARTICULARS OF HIS DEATH.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 409, 9 October 1889, Page 3

MR DAVID BERRY. PARTICULARS OF HIS DEATH.

It was stated in our last Tuesday week's issue that Mr Berry, a very old Sydney resident, and a relative of Dr. Honey man and Mr John Hay, of this city, has died at the advanced age of ninety-eight years, leaving an estate estimated as being worth three millions sterling. We understand that the chief legatees are Mr Hay and Dr. Honeyman. A Sydney contemporary makes the following relerence to the deceased gentleman's death :—: — One of the oldest colonists has passed away in the person ot Mr David Berry, who died at his residence, Coolangatta, last night at half- past six o'clock. Mr Berry was a native of Coupar, Fifeshire, Scotland, and arrived in this colony in the month of July, 1836, on board the Midlothian, huiling from the Port of Leith, and commanded by Captain Morrison. He was accompanied by his elder brother John and his younger brother William, as well as by his sisters Sarah and Agnes, all of whom he was privileged to survive. Shortly after their arrival at Sydney they all proceeded to Coolangatta, the estate of the late Dr. Alex. Berry, t.he eldest of the family, and for the period of 11 years the management of that property devolved on the brothers John and David. On the death of John, who was killed by a fall from his horse while mustering stock, the sole direction of operations was undertaken by David, and these, with the aid of trusted officials, he continued actively to supervise for upwards of 40 years. In September, 1873, Dr. Alexander Berry died, and the whole of the property belonging to him was bequeathed to his brother David, with power to dispose of it as he thought proper. During the latter's tenure the estate was considerably enlarged by the purchase ot adjacent land as opportunity offered, with the iew of rendering the property more compact and manageable. The land, however, was not suffered to lie idle awaiting the operations of neighboui'ing owners to give it an unearned value, as so frequently happens in every colony. A great portion thereof was fenced and cultivated under Mr Berry's own superintendence, while a much larger area, in farms of varying size, was occupied by industrious settlers, either on the principle of granting long and favourable leases, or on the principle of dividing the profits between owner and occopier, house, implements, stock, &c, being provided by the former, and the labour by the latter. By these means the greater part of the property was gradually brought under cultivation, and perhaps more beautiful homesteads than those established under these arrangements are not to be found in the colony, as anyone travelling from Jeringong towards Shoalhaven may have witnessed. There is some doubt entertained as to the exact age which Mr Berry had attained, but from a comparison of dates connected with the history of the family, it has been ascertained, with the nearest possible approach to certainty, that prior to his death he had seen his century.