NOTED MAORI WOMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 112, 9 June 1909, Page 4

NOTED MAORI WOMAN.

Till'; LATE -MUS, DONNELLY. The late Mrs. (i. P. Donnelly was One of the best-known representatives of the Maori race, and was quite an institution in .Hawke's Jiay. She was iiot unknown outside Xew Zealand, either. Mrs. Donnelly's name was very 'prominently before the public twenty years ago in con-•net-tjon with a, famous lawsuit involving large and valuable interests.In 1888, the well-known Omahu chief, Kenata Kauepo, Mrs. Donnelly's grand uneie. died, and his adopted son, the late Mr. William J3roughton, assumed l the chieftainship under ivenata's wil], which leit the tri'hes and lands in trust to him. Long litigation <ensued owing to Mrs. Donnelly producing what she claimed to be the e,ub*e<juenl will of Kenata. Thw litigation \\a.-> singular in many respects. The original enquiry a» between the two wills came bclore Chief .Justice Premiergasi- in Wellington, and lasted over ivvo iveeks. The judgment went in favor ot the wiil produced 'bv -Mrs. Donnelly. This decision, however, was reversed by the Appeal Court, and Mrs. Donnelly took the ease to l.hu Privy Council, which declared for Mr. JJroughton. Though when Kenata Kawcpo died he was/ owner, under an order of the Court, of a very large :l>l<Xrk of land in the Pa lea district, by special legislation these orders were cancelled, and ifurlher enquiry held, tire result being that Kenata \\a» found to <be owner of an insignificant area in that district. Omahu lands ol very great value, upon ■which Kenata had Jived, had not 'been investigated by the Court at the 'time of his death. The block 'was investigated, ami after paying cost of litigation there was little left for the bencliciaries,

Airini Tonorc was tlie daughter of Karaurhi, a prominent Hawked liny cliief who died lighting (for the British colors at N'gatajiu. on the East Coast of tliis inland. Iler mother was lltiromi te Ata. daughter of Hremi, a sister of llcniita Kawepo. Through' lier mother she also claimed iliivct descent from the celebrated Waimarania chief, Tiaki T.ii. ■She was, indeed, the focussing point of a iiitimber yf rich lliranclies of Maori ancestry. Through Karauria she claimed relationship to the chiefs' Tarelia a:id .Moananui, and still 'further hack she is brought into line with the Ureweru tribe and with stems of the great Kahungunu tree, which extends from (Jit-borne inland to Lake Waikareuioaua and down to \\airarapa. She also claimed direct decent flinn the Xgaaiwhiti and the Ngatihiiieiuiinui, who were large landholders in the I'atea district.

Airini Tonore many years ago married Mr, lleorge I'rior JJonnelly, and they lived in a beautiful home called " Clirissoge. near Hasting.,natil a few months ago. wl|cu a bun-,., nearer Napier was taken owing to Mrs. Donnelly's illness. I hey had one daughter, who married Mr. Ferry, of the UaiiarapH.