DEATH OF MR. JAMES BELLRINGER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 121, 18 June 1901, Page 2

DEATH OF MR. JAMES BELLRINGER.

Bv the death ©f Mr. James Bellricger,! which took place suddenly at his rcsi-| dence at Fitzroy, about 9 o'clock oni Monday morning, there is lost to the a town and district one of the lAos*, if! njt the most, prominent'public man a ira our A few days ago it W'>s| announced in these columns that Mr.™ Belli ingor was confined to his house,| but it was hoped that era long hek would bo again setn about. This, hcw-| ever, whs not to te, the labourers tas'cf was nea'ly over, and though no immediate danger was apprehended, there was not only a weak pulsation to contend with, but a clot of blood was present in one of his legs, causing some ■ troublo, The invalid was rot, how.3ever, confined to his bad, being . able to move into his si'ting-rooro, on Sunday was apparently satisfactorily. It appears however, that the clot became detachod gand on Monday morning there was a Ksuddea stoppage of the heart almost |jimme;lifite'y after Mr. Belli in^e' 1 had ; ft partaken of breakfast and he expired ) gin his devoted wife's arms. The shock ' fjto the family, many of whom wtre' apreeen l ", was very great,especially mas'. sthe end ca'iie right on the top of hopes * |of cjtiv.ile.scerco. The sad nows was |sp edi'y known in town and on all sides Rwas txprefs d de p and sincere regret, IJ at the loss of so va'ued a fel'ow towns-J jimn, the utmos 1 ; sympathy being felt jfor the bereaved widow and family. |

The late Mr. BelUirger was born at | Wrantige, near Taunton, Somerset-1 shire, in 1839, where he was educated j and served his time (*even years) with! the leading firm of plumbars and! painters. Subsequently he joined the| 65th Regiment with whtin he arrivedin Auckland in 1857, corning to naki about thr< 0 years r and fe;ving; through the Tan naki war. Aferie-? tiring from his reyiment he j >ined the j Tavanaki Bush Rangers and at the* co ielusion of the war received the Ira-* 1 pe ial aud Colonial medals in recogni-i tijn of his services. Hia business] career h re comm. need about 1865 i when hi r .sumei in Devon -street the' trade he had Karat in Englind. lir spite tf many drawbacks and muchj oppo-i ion his indomitable energy and; perseverance told in the long run, andj as he fought his way up, each step, gained acted as a spur for further advancement. Becoming well est&b-j lisind he turned his attention to muni-] cipal fcflairs being first elected to the;

Borough Council in 1879. Here he | found t Deployment for that aptitude he| possessed in a marked degree for mis- •' ■erirg details acd getting to the root of : " mattes. His shrewd c mmon sense| and foresight coup'e with a retentive } memory soon placed him in the fore-l front at the Council and ten years* lat3r he became major holding office from 1889 to 1893. From* December, 1893, to September, 1896, & Mr. Bellringer retired from the.Coun-| cil, but in response to a strong requisi-• tion mad,3 to him at the latter date he ' re-entared the muoicipal arena, and: with the exc ption of the time oocu-; pied by lii-s trip to England and back,' he took the leading part in the con-1 duct of its business. Strong of will, ( firm of purpose, and steidf ist in pre- 1 serving the rich's and property of the £ ratepayers, upon his shoulders natur-' ally f-ll a large share of work and responsibility. It was owing to his determined stand that the racecourse reserve was preserved for tha town. | : At the tinn of his death he was filling jthe ofli' 0 of Deputy-Mayor during Mr. * >Dcckrill's absence in Wellington to take ■ part in the lioyal reception, to which j I Mr. Bel'ringer had beeu invited, but. lowing to the st ita of i is health he was adebarred from attending. His voice §was always raised in furthering the i'it a resta of the burgessss but now— * " That voice is silent in the Oouncil hall j For ever . . . Yet remember all f He spoke among you, and c the Man who ■ spoke; ; Who never sold the truth to serve the hour,' Nor palter'd with Eternal God for power; Whose life was work, whose language rife With rugged maxims hewn from life ... f ! Such was ho—his wo.'k is dono." ;

lie has fille i many public positions' such as Chairman of the Town School - Committee, (and lately Chairman of the Fitz*oy Scboil Committee), Member of the Harbour B iard, Chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Chairman of the H>nui Road Board, Chairman of the Taiunaki News Co., and for 44 ye>rs was cmnfc'ed with the Odufcllows Ordf r, of which he was corres-, ponding seen toy for 25 y^ars," being a member of the Excelsior s Lrdge for 37 yeirs, and secretary for 20 yen's. In Masonary be was a P.M. and Past D stiict Grand Mas'er. On several occasions he was the recipient" of fcolons of esteem fro in the vaiious bodies with which he was associated, and it will be in the rfcollec'ion of all that previous to his tsip Home, ho was pre«rnted by his fellow townsmen with a h >ndfODie gold watch and chain, while on his return the Oddfellows gave him a silver fcei service. Such evidences

lot appreciation of services not ionlyshow that the Jatd Mr. Bellrlnger |had gawd the esteem ar.d regard of I his- fe'low-meti by means of his own Istorling msri s, but are a 1 sting prcof Jof the efforts he made to aid in every | causa that was for the good of his Ifellow-mfn. For many years he has' | been a staunch member and supporter : Sof the Primitive Methodist Church, where his loss will be greatly felt. His life b;m not been in vaiu, for he baa ' j laboured Icng for the public gool. In I town he wiil be greatly missed, also at Ipl zroy, whfre far the lasH uine yeats I lie has lesided. The greatest sympathy |is f-It for the bereaved widow and the ! large family circle in the irreparable 'loss they have sustained, A large !number of telegrams containing kimlly woided sympathy and regret were received yesterday afternoon, including [those from His Worship the Mayor land Mrs. D-ckvill, Mrs. E M. Smith,' ! Messrs. Cottier, Cock, Kigaa'l, [otheis. £

| Mr. Be'lriiger leaves several rocs," f namely: Messrs 0. E. Be'lringerj f(Town Olfilc), F. Bellring*r (Captain' j: Fire Brigade), Percy Bellringer, Felix 5 S Be ; lringcr (solicitor), Richard, Haiold.j ?iind Etio Bellringfr. A'sa four duught- J ['o.-fl : —Mis Brcckensbiw, and Misses.; i Florence, Ethel and Ivy Bellringer. i | We uudu'stand that so general has h>epn the expressed wish to attend the funeral at two o'clock on Wednesday fcihat a special meet rig of the Boron ah jCouncil his summonod for l.this mornii-g lo consider as to c'osing ' fthe business premises fi;r a portion of a !the afternoon. There is lit'le doubt' but that this itio»ds of ptyingali&t tribute of respect.to tho 1 -its Obairman of the Works (Jommittee will itself to every citizen. [•'