Captain William Caesar Sarsfield Colclough, MBE, (1863-22/12/1926). "his kindly acts"

OBITUARY

CAPTAIN COLCLOUGH

The death of Captain William Sarsfield Colclough, M.B.E., took place shortly before midnight yesterday at the Grey Hospital, where he had been a patient for the past several weeks. About six weeks ago he left the Hospital, but owing to indifferent health was forced to re-enter the institution for treatment.

Captain Colclough, who was in his sixty-third year, had been resident in Greymouth since 1913, when he was appointed to the charge of the West Coast area of the Canterbury-Westland Military District. He was born at Panmure, near Auckland, and as a young man held the post of Curator to the Canterbury Museum at Christchurch. He was prominent in Christchurch volunteer circles, from whence he joined the Defence Department as Sergeant-Major, being later promoted to the rank of Captain on his appointment to the charge of the West Coast area. For services rendered during the War, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. On his retirement on pension, he entered business on his own account, and was appointed secretary of the Grey Patriotic Association, and also to the Greymouth Club. 

He was unmarried, and is survived by one sister, Mrs Hannon Wilson, of Invercargill. The late Captain Colclough, who was a typical Army officer, was of a large-hearted and genial disposition, and his tact during the compulsory military service period was much appreciated by parents and relatives of those called on for service abroad, and manifested itself in his kindly acts for all service men. 

The remains of the late Captain Colclough will be taken to Dunedin tomorrow for interment there.  -Greymouth Evening Star, 23/12/1926.

OTAGO’S EARLY DAYS

THE LATE CAPTAIN COLCLOUGH.

An Invercargill correspondent to the “Free Lance” writes: — Capt. William Caesar Sarsfield Colclough, M.B.E., whose mortal remains were laid to rest in God’s Acre — it is only an acre in extent at Karitane, Dunedin — on Christmas Day, was in his prime as fine a specimen of physical manhood as one could see. He stood 6ft. 4in., an upright military figure with a voice that could be heard over three parade grounds. He was a kinsman of that John Colclough, M.P., who was killed in a duel with Alcock in 1807 — a duel made famous by many a romantic tale. Most people will have forgotten the great Colclough versus Colclough lawsuit which lasted for 25 years in Queen Victoria’s reign, all through a lost marriage certificate. The late Capt. Colclough was a great grandson of Sir Caesar Colclough, the second baronet of Tintern Abbey and a descendant of Sir Thomas Vesey, Bishop of Ossory.

This little cemetery in Karitane must be the oldest in Dunedin. The first interment took place in 1842, a Captain and Mrs. Thomas having died within three weeks of each other. The inscription on the old headstone reads: “Sacred to the memory of Elizabeth Thomas, June 26, 1842; aged 41 years. Also Capt. William George Thomas, July 9, 1842; aged 50 years; leaving ten children to lament their loss.” What stories could be woven round that old inscription! The Maoris and whalers of long ago used to say the headstone was brought ashore from a full-rigged ship that called in from Sydney. The sailors erected it and then sailed away.

Bishop Selwyn stayed at the old Mission Station inside the cemetery in 1845 when Karitane was a whaling station controlled by Johnny Jones and was the landing place for mails for Dunedin and all Otago. The first brick chimney in Otago was built at the Mission House here, and upon Lady Alice Fergusson’s visit recently she was presented with a piece of one of old bricks.  -Greymouth Evening Star, 13/4/1927.

Karitane Cemetery.