OBITUARY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2601, 30 December 1893, Page 2

OBITUARY.

EIGHT REV. HENRY JOHN CHITTY HARPER, D.D.

It is with the deepest regret that WO have to record the death of Bishop Harper, late Primate of the Anglican Church of New Zealand. Bishop Harper was born at Gosport, Hampshire, on the 9th January, 1804. He was educated at Hyde Abbey School, Winchester, and Queen’s College, Oxford. He took his B.A. degree in 1826, M.A. in 1834, and was made a Doctor of Divinity in 1866. For some time he was a private tutor at Eton, and after his ordination in 1831 held the curacy of Eton College for some nine years, when he was presented to the vicarage of Strathfield Mortimer, in Berkshire. He was consecrated Bishop of Christchurch on August 10th, 1856, and arrived in New Zealand on December 24th, 1856. On the resignation of Bishop Selwyn in 1868 he was appointed Primate of New Zealand, which office he resigned in 1887, although his successor was not actually appointed until 1890. It would be difficult to speak too highly of the bishop’s work in this province. His own early training led him to take the greatest interest in our public schools, and as warden of Christ’s College, and as a governor of Canterbury College he endeavoured to raise the standard and tone of those institutions to the highest pitch. He was a kindly and courteous gentleman, full of sympathy and endowed with a gentle disposition that caused hid* to be beloved by the various sections oi! the community with whom he had any association. The clergy *of his Church were sincerely attached to him, and he had the rare faculty of being able to keep himself in touch with their surroundings, keenly appreciating their difficulties, smoothing the t toad for them far as possible, and rejoicing with their success. 1U spite of his great age, ninety, the bishop enjoyed fairly good health until lately, and was able to attend the early services at the cathedral until the 17th instant. On. that day he was weaker than usual, and on Friday last had to taka to his bed. He retained his consciousness to the last, and passed away very peacefully on Thursday afternoon. He leaves a very large family, his descendants numbering over a hundred. His sons are the Von. Archdeacon Harper, of Timaru, Dr Harper, Rev. Walter Harper, and Messrs Leonard and George Harper. His daughters are Mrs r A eland, Mrs C. G. Tripp, .Mrs Blakiston, Mrs 0. P. Cox, and Mrs Maliug. The funeral will take place to-morrow.