OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1922, Page 4

OBITUARY.

COLONEL W. B. MESSENGER. NOTABLE TARANAKI PIONEER. The death occurred at his Octavius Place, New Plymouth, on •Saturday, of Colonel B. Messenger, at the advanced age of 88 years. The late Colonel Messenger, who was identified with the early history and settlement of New Plymouth, was tiorn in Essex, England, on March 30, 1834, and was the eldest son of Mr. W. Messenger, formerly of the Royal Navy and East India Company’s service. He came out to New Plymouth with ins parents in the ship Joseph Fletcher, arriving in September, 1853, and took up land in the bush with them. In 1858 he joined the Taranaki Volunteers to assist in the defence of the settlement against the Maoris, and took part in the battles of Waireka, Mahoetahi, and numerous other engagements. The late Colonel Messenger had a lengthy and notable military career, as the following sketch indicates: Private 1858; sergeant 1859; commission ensign militia, March 3, 1860; lieutenant December 4, 1802; captain July 27, 1863; command company of military seitiers from Melbourne February 13, 1664; special duty after massacre of Rev. VVhiteley and others at Pukearuhe February, 1869; command of corps of Forest Rangers 1871-72; command of frontier post, Pukearuhe, 1873-76; commission sub-inspector, first-class armed constabulary, December I, 1877-85; command of permanent artillery, Wellington, 1885; major N.Z.P.M. December 10, 1885; expedition under Major Sit H. Atkinson to East Coast ending in the arrest of Te Kooti, 1889; lieuten-ant-colonel N.Z. Permanent Militia July 17, 1899; command of Royal N.Z. Artillery 1901; command of 10th N.Z. Contingent for South Africa April 11, 1902.

In 1902 he was attached to the staff of the Right Hon. R. J, Seddon on his tour of South Africa, and later was placed in command of a retiirning contingent of Australian troops, arriving in Melbourne on May 31, 1902. On April 30, 1903, he was placed on the retired list of the New Zealand Militia with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Decorations held by Colonel Messenger were the New* Zealand medal, South African medal and clasp, ana long and efficient service medal. On July 25, 1803, he married Arabella, daughter of Mr. T. Mace, or New Plymouth. Mrs. Messenger predeceased him by about six- years. He is survived by a family of eight sons and four daughters as follows: Messrs. WilliamBazaire (Sentry Hill), Frank (New Plymouth), Walter (Inglewood), Edward (Masterton), Charles (Auckland), Alfred (Wellington), Arthur (Wellington), George (Auckland), Mrs. Little (Sentry Hill), Mrs. F. W. Atkinson. (Lepperton), Mrs. Geivin (Feilding), Mrs. Somerset-Smith (Napier). "