February 25, 1926 Vestry Meeting

Minutes of Vestry Meeting held in the Common Room on Thursday, February 25, 1926, at 7.30 p.m. (Page 88)

Present

The Vicar presiding; Vestrymen Penistone, Hale, Hyde, Best and Denbee.

Minutes

The minutes of the last meeting of the Vestry held on Thursday, 26 November 1925 were read and confirmed.

W H Beetham

The Vicar read a letter from Mr A C Major on behalf of the executors of the Will of the late Mr W H Beetham[1], which stated under the will the sum of £2000 is bequeathed to the Vicar, Churchwardens and Vestry of St Matthew's Anglican Church at Masterton as a contribution to the building fund of the church and a further sum of £2000 for the purposes of a new girls' school.

Mr G. Ball

The Vicar explained he had received a letter from Mr Ball resigning his position as a Vestryman of St Matthew's Church.

It was resolved that Mr Ball's resignation be accepted with extreme regret, the Vestry expressing their appreciation of past services.

Vicarage Hot Water

Mr Penistone was asked to bring down a report to the next meeting of the Vestry on the hot water service at the Vicarage, also a smoking chimney in the Vicar's study.

Organ

The Vicar was asked to interview the organist with the object of getting him to report on what he considered was necessary to make the organ properly function and, if possible, an estimate of the cost of same.

Financial

The Financial Statement as appearing on page 726 was read and adopted and accounts totalling £3.10.4 appearing thereon passed for payment.

Offertories

Mr McCartney was appointed to take up the offertories for March.

The meeting closed with the Grace.

Signed Wm. Bullock, March 30, 1926.

[1] MR. W. H. BEETHAM - OBITUARY

Mr. William Henry Beetham, whose death at Masterton was announced in "The Post" last evening, was a member of a family whose name has been associated with the Wellington and Wairarapa districts for nearly 70 years. The family arrived in Wellington in 1855 in the barque William and Jane.

The late Mr. William Henry Beetham, who was the second son of the late Mr. William Beetham of the Upper Hutt, was born in Yorkshire. 

In his earlier years with his elder brother (Mr. Richmond Beetham) he carried out contracts in the formation of the road over the Rimutakas. 

Subsequently he, with others took up the Brancepeth station, in the Wairarapa, and for many years was a member of the firm of Messrs. Williams and Beetham, his partners being his brother (Mr. H. H. Beetham) and Mr. T. C. Williams. 

On the division of the firm's properties, Mr. W. H. Beetham took over the Kourarau portion. 

For a considerable period, Mr. Beetham was a member of various local bodies in the Wairarapa, and was president of the Masterton A. and P. Association. He was also a director of the Wellington Meat Export Company. In addition to his prominence in local body and agricultural matters. Mr. Beetham founded the Wairarapa Acclimatisation Society, and assisted in the establishment of the fish hatchery at Masterton, in which he always took a keen personal interest. In his earlier years a captain in the local militia, he continued his interest in defence matters, and gave much assistance to the North Wairarapa Rifle Club, of which he was president. 

Mr. Beetham was married to a daughter of Mr. W. Frere [Marie Zelia Hermance Frere], of Picardie, France, in 1880. Of the ten members of the family only two remain--Mr. Charles Beetham, of Masterton, and Mrs. Fitzroy, of Havelock North.

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 144, 15 December 1925, Page 6 

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