PIONEER MINISTER

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1940, Page 3

PIONEER MINISTER

TARANAKI ASSOCIATIONS The Rev. Charles Connor, a well known Presbyterian minister in Hawkes Bay who was at one time stationed at Opunake, died at Napier in his 88th year. Mr. Connor was born at Liverpool in 1855 and sailed for New Zealand with his parents in the ship Arina in November, 1862, arriving in March of the following year. The Rev. Charles Connor senr. was minister at Oamaru for six years, and then moved to Clinton, from where his son atiended the Otago Boys' High School. When the University of Otago was opened in 1871 he was one of its first students, Sir Robert Stout and Sir John Denniston being contemporaries. Mr. Connor returned to Scotland in 1875 to study divinity at Edinburgh for three years, after which he spent several years at Marburg, Germany, studying theology. He was licensed as a minister in 1879, and for 11 years held a charge in Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He married in 1885. Before returning to New Zealand he spent a short time ministering to English tourists at San Rcmo, Italy, and a year in, South Australia. Arriving back in the Dominion. he settled at Waikari, 'North Canterbury, and afterwards spent nine years as minister of the Port Ahuriri-Meeanee combined charge. Subsequently, though retired, he took an active part in the establishment of the churcli at Kelburn, and gnve much service in the Opunake district, in Taranaki. He was severely injurecl by falling brickwork during Ihe Hawkes Bay earthquake and spent several weeks in Wellington hospital. Mrs. Connor predeceased him in 1934. The members of his family romaining are Miss Mary Connor and Mrs. Edgar Blundell (INapier) and Mr. Douglas Connor (Wellington).