Anniversary of Golden Wedding To Be Celebrated

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1942, Page 5

Anniversary of Golden Wedding To Be Celebrated

The golden anniversary of their wedding will be celebrated at the week-end by Mr. and Mrs. John Blake, Hawera, who were marriqd at Lincoln, Canterbury, 50 years ago yesterday. Mr. Blake was born at Edinburgh and was brought to New Zealand when barely a year old, while Mrs. Blake was born in Northem Ireland and came to New Zealand at the age of 13 years. Four years after their marnage on August 25, 1892, by the Rev. Mr. Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Blake moved to Taranaki and settled on Omuturangi Road at Otakeho, where Mr. Blake engaged in farming and was the inventor and patentee of one of the first milking machines. Mr. Blake also purchased one of the first motor-cars to run on the roads in his district, and it was to develop hls patent that he left the farm and went to live at Hawera in 1909. setting up in business in a large workshop where the premises of the Egmont Tourist Motors, Ltd., and part of the Farmers' Co-op. Organisation Society Ltd. now stand in Regent Street. He developed his engineering practice and became an importer of cars, and e.*en manufactured parts in days when repairs were not so readily effected as they are to-day. He remained in business until 1925, when he retired to his present home at 6 Victoria Street. There is a family of three sons, Messrs. Charles and James E. Blake (Wanganui), John R. Blake (Hawera) and two daughters, Mrs. W. Boyce and Mrs. J. Houston (Hawera). There are eleven grand-children, of whom three are in the armed services, one each in the navy, army and air force.