THE LATE MR MATTHEW FOWLDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 4 April 1907, Page 6

THE LATE MR MATTHEW FOWLDS.

(From Our London Correspondent.) LONDON, February 16. I regret to haye to announce the death of Mr Matthew Fowlds. It will be within the recollection of your readers that he completed the hundredth year of his age on May 22nd last year, on which occasion his family entertained a large company j of nearly 300 guests at dinner in the George Hotel, Kilmarnock, and the old gentleman was presented with many tokens of esteem, including a portrait of himself working at his loom, painted by Mr Monro S. Orr—a most interesting work of art which was subsequently handed over by Mr Fowlds to the Kilmarnock Corporation, to tbe hung in the Hall of the Dick Institute. At that memorable gathering, five sons of the centenarian were present, one of them being Mr George Fowlds, who has since been raised to Cabinet rank as Minister of Public Health and Education. Among the guests also were Sir Joseph Ward, K.C.M.G., and Mr J. G. W. Aitken, M.H.R. The worthy centenarian underwent the ordeal of this great meeting in his honour with wonderful vigour, and was able to resume and carry on, until quite recently, his work at the i loom in the house in which he was born and where his patriarchal life has just come to a close. He ceased weaving only a few months ago, and did not even then lapse into idleness, but kept his hands busy with stock-ing-knitting, and enjoyed his usual good health until an unfortunate accident befel him. His niece and faithful housekeeper had gone out for a few moments o.i a message to a neighbouring farm, when he incautiously rose from bed, and in crossing the flocr stumbled and fell. On her return she found him lying helpless but quite conscious. His first words were the characteristic remark : "I'm afraid this'll shorten my days." Medical aid was, as soon as possible, procured, and it was found_ that he had sustained a fracture of the thigh. He bore up well under the injury, and at first it seemed as if he might rally from the shock for a time, but that he should have speedily succumbed can excite no surprise. Mr Fowlds traced his descent through five genera-ions from Captain Paton, of Covenanting fame. He was a hand loom weaver, and was 84 years a member and 52 years an elder in the same church, and he died in the house in which he was born.