OBITUARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10153, 24 December 1910, Page 5

OBITUARY.

COLONEL J. R. SOMERMLLE, By Teleqrapli — Press Association WANGANUI, Last .Night. Colonel J. R. -Somerville passed away late on Thursday night. Deceased was born in Ireland in 1843. At an early age he came to New Zealand with his father, who was in the Imperial Army, and whose regiment was ordered to „this country on account of the Maori war. His boyhood was spent at Turakina, and he then removed to No. 2 Line, about five 1 miles from Wanganui, where he resided to the time of his death. Colonel Sommerville lived a .'very busy life, and always spared time from his farming pursuits to render service to the public. For over 30 years- he was a prominent figure on . local bodies, and served on the "Wanganui County Council (of which lie was chairman for several years), Wanganui Harbour Board, Wanganui Hospital and Charitable Ait? / Board, and Purua Road Board. He was also a Justice of the Peace. During the troubles with the natives on this coast, he entered the old Wanganui Cavalry (now the Alexandra Mounted Rifles.) He rose step by step through all grades till he obtained the captaincy of the Corps—a post he held for several years. He was then promoted to be Major, by which time he had earnthe volunteer officers' decoration (the V.D.), and was appointed to the command of the First Wellington Battalion of Mounted Rifles. He was later promoted to bo Lieuten-ant-Colonel, and on the outbreak of the Boer war he volunteered for the V service in South Africa, where for a time he commanded the Fifth New Zealand Contingent, receiving I the Queen's Medal and being promoted to a full Colonelcy in"the New Zealand Militia for his services. In nothing was Colonel Sommerville ~ better known than in connection with the New Zealand Rifle Association. I An enthusiastic rifle shot, he quickly became prominent in the affairs of the Association, and was soon given a place on its Executive, afterwards becoming chairman. He kept the Association alive till the Government took if'over. The late Colonel is to •be accorded a military funeral.