OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1940, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR R. H. WILTON. The death has occurred of Mr Robert Henry Wilton, of Mangahao Road, Pahiatua, at the age of 89 years. Both he and Mrs Wilton, who died two months ago, were pioneer settlers of the Wairarapa and Pahiatua districts. Mr Wilton’s parents arrived at Wellington from Somersetshire, England, in the ship Oriental in 1841. and he was born at Happy Valley, Wellington, in 1857. In 1862 his parents took up a block of 500 acres of land at Taratahi, Wairarapa. Mr Wilton had vivid recollections of the Maori troubles four years later, when the men decided to garrison their homes and the women and children were sent to Wellington in bullock drays, the journey beingmade over the Rimutakas by moonlight. Mr Wilton at an early age became a competent blade shearer, and "for many years he was employed at many of the big runs of the Wairarapa. He also in the early roadless days did a considerable amount of droving of cattle, sheep and horses, and on one occasion, with the assistance of a mate, he took a large mob of cattle from Martinborough to Hawera, over the Rimutakas, via Wellington, and up the west coast, the only bridged river at that time being the Wanganui. In 1880 he married Miss Martha Compton, daughter of another pioneer settler of the Masterton district, and some eight years later he took up land in the Mangamaire district, and was the first settler on the Mangamaire Road. Helater purchased a dairy farm at Konini, and eventually settled on a property on Ridge Road, where he was engaged in mixed farming till four years and a half ago, when he and his wife retired to live at Pahiatua. He was for many years a successful breeder of Lincoln sheep, for which he won a number of prizes at various shows. He was a life-member of the Pahiatua A. and P. Association, and assisted with the sheep section at the recent annual show on February 10 last. He leaves a family of three daughters and two sons —Mrs R. Gregory (Clive), Mrs, A. B. Shearer (Hawera), Mrs G. Gray (Mangamaire), and Messrs D. W. Wilton (Pahiatua) and C. H. Wilton (Ballance). One daughter. Emily (Mrs J. McPhee), died during the epidemic of 1918. and her only daughter Isla lived with her grandparents since that date. There are also 31 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. .. MRS J. C. PATRICK. The death occurred yesterday in the Masterton Hospital of Mrs Janet C. Patrick, wife of Mr A. J. Patrick, after a short illness. The late Mrs Patlick was born in Stafford, West Coast, in 1881, and had resided in the Wairatapa district during the last 30 years, about 16 years of that period in Masterton. She is survived by her husband, one daughter (Mona. Masterton), two sons. Stuart (Petone) and Bruce (Masterton). The funeral will take place tomorrow, leaving the residence after a service commencing al 2 p.m. for the Maste r t o n Cemetery.