PERSONAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9669, 17 December 1909, Page 4

PERSONAL.

I Mr'R. Scott, M.P., ifrtr ■ accompanied by Mrs Scott, wecQ visitors to Carterton yesterday. Mr and Mrs S. Mawley, of "Dit~ ton," Maaterton, who have beeDoa a visit to England, returned to Masterton last evening. A pleasing little ceremony took place in Knox Hall last evening, when Rev. A. T. Thompson, on behalf of the Knox Young Women's Bible Class and the Church Choir.' presented Miss Flora McGregor witti a handsome chair to mark her approaching marriage. The death at Wanganui last week of Mrs Maria Bo wen has removed one of New Zealand's early settlers. The deceased,was born at Portsmouth, England, 74 years ago, and when she was five years old she came out tp Wellington with her parents in the ship Martha Ridgway. Her father; Mr William Whitley, a shipbuilder, settled at Petone, and met his death , by drowning: in Wellington Harbour. Mrs Whitley and family ' removed! to Lyttelton, where they lived for years. At the age of 17, Miss Whitley married Mr Richard 'Bowen, a well-known ahipwtfght, and she was on the Port Hills when the first four emigrant ships arrived. She and her husband afterwards settled at Kaiapoi, where they remained for 27 years. Mr Bowen died there, and Mrs Bowen then went to live in Christchurch. Seven years ago she returned to Petone. Death occurred while she was on a visit to Wanganui.