OBITUARY.
MAJOR RICHMOND, C.B.
We have to record the death of an old distinguished, and esteemed colonist, Major Richmond, C. B., who died at his residence, The Cliffs, Nelson, on Saturday March 5th, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. The deceased gentleman, after a long military career, arrived in this colony in the year 1840, and from that time up to his comparatively recent retirement from the Legislative Council he took an active and important part in public affairs. He was gazetted in the year 1820 from the Royal Military College as ensign in the Cape Corps, from which he echanged into the 11th Regiment. He was promoted to a lieutenancy in 1821, and became captain in 1826. He exchanged into the 96th Regiment in 1839, and was promoted to a majority in 1841. He retired from the army in 1845, and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Nelson Regiment of New Zealand Militia in 1861, and he was also appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Nelson Volunteers. While he was in the army he served in Portugal, in Canning's expedition, in the years 1827 and 1828; in the Ionian Islands, from 1828 to 1838; and in Nova Scotia in the latter year.
In 1835 Captain Richmond was appointed Resident of Paxo, by Sir Howard Douglas, Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, and on his departure from that island he was presented by the inhabitants with a gold medal and an address, in which they bore testimony in emphatic terms to the qualities which had endeared him to them, to his civic labors and to the many benefits which he hid bestowed upon them. In 1838 he was appointed Deputy Judge-Advocate for General Courts Martial at St. John's, New Brunswick.
His first connection with the public affairs of this colony was towards the end of the year 1840. when he was appointed by Sir George Gipps, Governor of New South Wales, a Commissioner to report on claims to land in New Zealand (which was then a dependency of N.S.W.). While he was engaged in this duty the Wairau massacre took place, and he was despatched to establish order and confidence. In 1843 Major Richmond was appointed Chief Police Magistrate for the southern division of New Ulster and Cook's Straits. In 1844 he received an appointment from Captain Fitzroy, R.N., Governor of New Zealand (continued by her Majesty in January, 1845), as Superintendent of the southern division of the colony, and during the term of his office, when the Governor was absent from the district, the conduct of the war then raging devolved with all responsibility, on the Superintendent.
On the arrival of Lieutenant-Governor Eyre from England in 1847, Major Richmond was appointed Superintendent and Resident Magistrate at Nelson, and afterwards Commissioner of Crown Lands. He retired from the office of Superintendent in 1853 and on that occasion he received an address from the inhabitants, from which the following is an extract:
"We should be wanting to ourselves, we should be unjust to you, if, while proclaiming the prosperous state of the settlement, we were to allow you to retire without making a public acknowledgement of the value of the services you have rendered to us, and we beg, therefore, to assure you that the constant and solicitous interest with which you have always sought to promote our prosperity, the judgment with which you have applied the resources at your command towards works of public utility, and the just and impartial manner in which you have extended your assistance to every district, the high moral example which you have shown to the community, the uniform kindness of your conduct and manner, your liberality and unostentatious hospitality, have secured for you the lasting approbation and regard of the inhabitants of this settlement, with hardly an exception."
On the 23rd of June, 1853, he was appointed by Sir George Grey a member of the Legislative Council under the new Constitution Act, the letters patent being accompanied by a despatch, in which his Excellency expressed his anxiety to mark his sense of the value of the highly important services which the Major had rendered to the local Government for many years, during which very arduous duties had devolved upon him. In December, 1853, Governor Sir George Grey addressed a despatch to the Duke of Newcastle, of which the following is an extract:
"I avail myself of this opportunity of bringing under your notice the service of Major Richmond. During the eight years I have administered the Government of this colony, under circumstances of peculiar difficulty, I have necessarily, been under great obligations to many high Civil officers for the manner in which they have performed their duties, but to no officer am I under higher obligations than to Major Richmond, who has, without any exception whatever, performed the duties of various high offices in a manner evincing the greatest prudence, judgment, and discretion, and showing a zeal for the promotion of her Majesty's service most honorable to himself and beneficial to the public."
On the 18th May, 1860, Major Richmond was appointed by her Majesty a Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, and in the despatch which was forwarded to him along with the badge of the Order, the Duke of Newcastle expressed himself in these words: — "I have felt that it was justly due to you as an acknowledgment of your services under the Crown, and I have felt much gratification in finding that her Majesty has been pleased to accord to you this mark of her approbation."
In July, 1865, Major Richmond was elected the first Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Council. To this office he was re-elected in every session of the Assembly up to 1879, when he declined to be again appointed. On this occasion the Council unanimously passed a resolution of thanks, affirming that it desired to record its high appreciation of the efficient, dignified and courteous manner in which he (Major Richmond) had discharged the duties of the office, adding that the Council recorded its cordial thanks "for the valuable services he had rendered."
The difficulties of the position of an administrative officer like Major Richmond in the earlier days of the colony, and the importance of such services, are probably but little known to any but very old colonists. The brief sketch of his career which we have given in this article, enables our readers to form some idea of the oppressive burden he was called upon to endure. He had to administer the affairs of the Government under circumstances of great danger and difficulty. He could only receive his instructions from headquarters at wide intervals. He was surrounded by hostile Natives, and had only slender resources at his command. At the same time he had to meet, almost unaided, the active opposition of the New Zealand Company and the criticism of a vigilant Press, ready to magnify his smallest mistake. The high personal character and private virtues of the deceased, which earned for him the esteem and affection of a very extensive circle of friends, need no record in a public print. As to his public career, who shall doubt that he deserved well of his adopted country, and that his memory will be cherished as that of one of those early "worthies" of the colony among whom the name of the husband of his only daughter — who went before him a short time since — will always hold a distinguished place. -Press, 7/3/1887.
IMPORTANT SALE
of
PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL LANDS,
MARLBOROUGH,
To Close the Estate of the Late
Major Richmond, C.B.
BAKER BROS., acting under instructions from the executors of the late Major Richmond, C.B., will offer by public auction at their Property Auction Mart, Lambton Quay, Wellington, on
THE 15th DAY OF JANUARY NEXT,
At 2.30 p.m.,
THAT MAGNIFICENT ESTATE KNOWN AS RICHMOND BROOK,
Situated in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough,
CONTAINING 29,913 ACRES .
Of which 6180 Acres are Leasehold.
The whole of the property is surrounded by a wire fence with the exception of about three miles, where the Awatere River forms a natural boundary. It is also subdivided into four large blocks, whilst about the station are numerous smaller paddocks, the greater portion of which are laid down in English grasses.
Richmond Brook is 20 miles from Blenheim and 8 miles from the terminus of the railway extension from that town (for which the money was voted last session), and there is a capital dray road the whole distance. The Awatere Telephone Station is distant from the property some 5 miles.
About 5000 acres of the run (that nearest the main road) are fit for the plough, and have been proved to be first-class grain growing land.
With the run will be delivered about 15,000 SHEEP
(Including lambs, all Merino).
The average clip per head last shearing was 6 1/4lbs, and the lambing was a little over 75 per cent. The heavy culling done by the management for the last few years, the full benefit of which will be reaped by the purchaser, is the reason of the smallness of the flock on a property which is well able to carry 20,000 sheep. So much of the land being arable, further carrying beyond that number is simply a matter of expenditure.
The working plant is very complete, including a lot of well-bred draught horses, and station and farm implements of the best description, all in good order. There is also a comparatively new 11-roomed house, a commodious stable, and the usual station buildings, the insurances on all of which amount to L1850.
For further particulars, apply to
BAKER BROS., Wellington and Auckland;
Or, SCLANDERS & CO., Christchurch, Nelson, and Wanganui. -Evening Post, 23/11/1889.
Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson.
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