OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 252, 24 April 1912, Page 4

OBITUARY.

MR. FRANCIS SIMPSON. We regret to have to chronicle t'li« death of Mr. Francis Simpson, late Commissioner of Crown Lands for Taranaki, which occurred at his residence., Dawso« street, New Plymouth, yesterday evening. The deceased, who was wi'drfy known and highly esteemed throughout Taranaki and other parts of the Dominion, had been in ill-health for som« time, and his death was not entirely unexpected. A widow and a family of eleven, seven sons and four daughterly all grown up, survive him. He was born in the year 1840 in Lancaster, England, and at the age of seven arrived in Auckland with his parents, being educated at Wesley College and at the Church of England Grammar School there. As ft young man he saw service in the Waikato war, holding a commission in tli* 2nd Waikato Regiment. After serving under the Auckland Provincial Council, he" joined the Survey Department in 1875, at Gisborne, as a district surveyor, which appointment he held until 1892, when he was promoted to be chief draughtsman at. Napier, later on being transferred to New Plymouth. In 1004 he became Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for Taranaki, a* appointment which lie occupied until hi* retirement on superannuation twelve months ago, being prevented bv ill-health from presiding at the April meeting of the Crown Lands Board, which was to have been his last meeting.