OBITUARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8172, 3 July 1906, Page 6

OBITUARY.

(From Our London Correspundent)

LONDON, May 18.

Mr Alfred W. Smith, who died suddenly on Easter Monday, was a most valued officer at the High Commissioner's office. He entered the service twenty years ago, and had risen to a position of great responsibility, passing away at the early age of 32. Everyone speaKß well of him as a most able and energetic officer, and his death leaves a vacancy that it will be by no means easy to fill. , Mrs Catherine O'Neill, widow of the Hon. James O'Neill, M.L.0., of New Zealand, passed away at Southsea. Mrs O'Neill had reached the advanced age of 87. The Kev Peter Barclay, late of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Napier, passed away', on April 28th, at Edinburgh, in bis 78th year. The deceased gentleman was a representative of the old family of Barolay de Tollie, which for several centuries possessed the land of TowieBarclay, now in the hands of Gordon's College and the , Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen. The family! came originally from Berkeley, in Gloucestershire, and received grants of land in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire from Malcolm Canmore in the 12th century. The Jate Mr Barclay was son of Mr Jamea Barolay, farmer, Knookeitb, Auohterless, who died in March, 1856, and one of this brothers was the late Mr Charles A. Baroliy, factor, Aberdour House, who died in August, 1902. Like others of his relatives, Mr-Barolay joined ihe Free Church, and emigrating to New Zealand, after his studies in this country he became the first minister of St. Paul's Presbyterian Churuh, Napier, where he spent some years, in the course of whioh he built up a very large congregation. He, however, gave up his charge in cunsequence of the death of his wife, a aaughtor of the late Mr William Gordon Montrose, and his inability to remain in a sphere in the work connected with which his partner in j life had taken so active a part. On his return to this country he settled in Edinburgh, but family, and other ties brought ghim frequently to the north. For a short interval during a holiday season he relieved the' Rev. J. W. Geddie in tho pastoral duties of the Banff Free Church, and, during his years of rejiremeut he occupied the pulpits of many local churches, where his ministrations were much appre eiated. His interest in New Zeaand, and bis belief in the possi-* bilites of that oouutry were great, and for a number of years he assisted the Agent-General in carrying out a large emigration scheme both by lecturing on the subject and by describing the state and resources of the country. Mr Barolay was the author of several works dealing with religious matters.. These included "Present Day Lessons From and "Church Work in New Zealand."