PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1922, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. R. L. Mcllroy has been appointed temporarily as headmaster of the Central School, New Plymouth.

A Paris cablegram states it Id now reported that Sarah Bernhardt’s illness is not considered serious, and that she is expected to recover in a few days.

A cable message from London states that Sir Edward Grigg, who was Military Secretary to the Prince of Wales on his tour of the Dominion, is engaged to the Hon. Joan Dickson Poynder, daughter of Lord Islington, ex-Govern-or-General of New Zealand. They will be married at St. Margaret s, Westminster, on January 31.

The funeral of the late Mr. Henry A’Court Davis took place at the Te Henui cemetery, New Plymouth, on Tuesday afternoon. The late Mr. Davis saw considerable service during the war and since his return has held several important positions in connection with the Returned Soldiers’ Association and the Soldiers’ Club. He was accorded a military funeral. Returned soldiers formed a* firing party, and other comrades acted as bearers. The Battalion Baud attended, and the ca«sket was conveyed to the cemetery on the gun carriage. The late Mr. Davis had been ill for some time past, and his widow and young family will have general sympathy in their bereavement.

The news that Mrs. Parkes, widow of the late Mr. F. B. Parkes, of St. John’s Hill, had passed away on Friday was received with general regret (says the Wanganui Chronicle). The deceased who was born in London 83 years ago, arrived in New Zealand in 1851, having come out with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Wright, in the ship Castle Eden. They reached Lyttelton on February 7, and a few days later left for Wanganui by the Catherine Johnston, which took a fortnight to do the trip. After living for some time on the river bank, 'the family settled at Springvale on property now part of the Parkes estate, and it was from here that she was married, in 1861, since when she resided continuously on St. John’s Hill. The late Mrs. Parkes was of a kind and cnanvame deposition and was prominently connected with St. Paul’s congregation.

An old identity, Mr. John Rose, of Seatoun Hoad, Kilbirnie, passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 83 years, reports the Dominion. He was wellknown in Wellington, and some years ago was a prominent building contractor in the city. Mr. Rose was born at Hobart, and came to New Sealand in the early sixties for the benefit of his health. He was in the South Island for some years, being one ot tlie pilgrims to Gabriel’s Gully during the gold rush, and arrived in Wellington on Anniversary Day, 1865. For over twenty years thereafter he was a partner iii the, firm of Messrs Murdoch and Rose, building contractors. Amongst the principal contracts secured by tlie firm were the erection of a portion of the old Parliamentary Buildings, St. Patrick’s College, and St. Peter’s Church. Not long after his arrival in New Zealand Mr. Rose was shipwrecked at the Akaroa Heads. He had been ailing for a fortnight before death overtook him. The deceased leaves a widow, five sons, two daughters, a nupiber of grandchildren and one great-grandchild.