NINETY=FIVE YEARS OF AGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 November 1939, Page 8

NINETY=FIVE YEARS OF AGE

MRS E. J. BASSETT OF EKETAHUNA RECALLS SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC IN LONDON. (“Times-Age" Special.) Mrs E. J. Bassett, of Eketahuna, yesterday celebrated her 95th birthday, and was the recipient of many warm congratulatory messages from various parts of the Wellington province, including those from the Governor-Gen-eral, Lord Galway, Lady Galway, Mr M. Savage (Prime Minister) and from the Mayor of Eketahuna (Mr W. Simpson) and members of the Eketahuna Borough Council. Mrs Bassett, whose maiden name was Emily Jane Jones, arrived at Wellington in 1868 and went to Whareama to join the household of Mr Duncan Cameron. After being there a few months she left to marry Mr Job Bassett, at Masterton, who packed goods to Eketahuna and district for Mrs Dorset, of Dryerton. A little later Mr Bassett bought a farm at Miki Miki. Here seven of their children were born and when they were of school age the family removed to Masterton. They had lost their home twice by log fires during this time. Later Mr Bassett took up a farm at Mangaoronga where the bush extended from the Masterton road to Mangaoronga. Mr Bassett cleared two acres and built 'a slab wharc with a shingle roof. This last could so easily take fire from flying sparks that he hollowed out a cave and in this the family took their bedding when lire threatened. During their life there the settlement boasted 1.3 families, a school. Post Office and church. They later retired to Mrs Bassett’s present home in Eketahuna after the death of their youngest son, Arthur Edmund, who, after serving for 41 years, was killed on the eve of peace being declared. After 14 years’ residence there, Mr Bassett died.

Mrs Bassett can recall the terrible days of the smallpox epidemic in London when the town criers patrolled the streets calling on householders to bring out their dead. Her parents kept a .large pastry cook’s and confectionery shop in London, employing a staff of twenty-four. Mrs Bassett recalls that in the epidemic marble counters had to be installed and the money placed thereon to get cold, it being thought that would prevent infection.