Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), Tuesday 23 May 1882, page 3


OBITUARY. WILLIAM SCOTT STONEHEWER, ESQ., J.P. We regret to have to record the sudden death of William Scott Stonehewer, Esq., at Blair Athol, near Westbury, on Sunday morning last. The deceased gentleman had been suffering from cold and a slight affection of the liver, which had kept him confined to his room, but there was nothing in his indisposition to cause his friends any great anxiety. On Friday evening Dr. Payne saw him and pronounced him better, and on Saturday he seemed to be progressing favourably towards recovery. Mir. Joy bade him "Good night" about 10 o'clock on Saturday ovening, when he appeared to be quite cheerful, saying he thought he should have a good night's rest. Mr. Joy looked in upon him again about 4 o'clock on Sunday morning, when he appeared to be all right. About 8 o'clock his niece, Mrs. Joy, on entering his room to consult him about his breakfast found him in a sitting posture on the side of his bed, but quite dead. He had apparently been attempting to take a dose of his medicine, fainted, and never recovered. A messenger was immediately despatched for Dr. Payne, who gave it as his opinion that the cause of death was disease of the heart. Mr. Stonehewer was born in London in January 1829, and was consequently 53 years of age at the time of his death. He came from a good old Yorkshire family. His father was a great sporting man and owned a number of very fine racehorses, in cluding Variation, a winner of The Oaks, and a wonderfully fine mare Souvenir. His mother was a sister of Mr. Tom Hodgson, the well-known hunting man. The subject of this notice inherited the proclivities of the two families, and in his younger days took a great interest in sporting matters. He never married, but spent a great portion of his time in travelling, and being of a naturally obser vant disposition, he acquired a fund of information about persons and places of a most extensive and varied description. He was also a great reader, gifted with conversational powers of no mean order, and his manner was always happy and genial. Having mixed a good deal in political, artistic, dramatic, musical, and sporting circles, he was almost a walking encyclopoedia of modern celebrities. Having chanced to hear and read of Tasmania, itsbeautiful beautiful scenery and salubrious climate, he determined to come and see it for himself, and accordingly some six or seven years since took passage with Mr. and Mrs. Joy, in the s.s. Northumberland for Meilbourne, where he transhipped into the s.s. Derwent for Launceston. He was delighted with the island and its climate, and making up his mind to settle down here he purchased the estate near Westbury, known as Blair Athol, where he resided for several months. Business matters, however, compelled him somewhat reluctantly to return to England, and he sold Blair Athol to Dr. Dickie. After disposing of his landed property in England he returned to Tasmania after an absence of rather less than two years, and was subsequently rejoined by Mr. and Mrs. Joy and family. Mr. Joy then repurchased and took possession of Blair Athol, and Mr. Stonehewer resided with him there up to the time of his death. Mr. Stonehewer's name was inserted in the Commission of the Peace on 3rd February, 1879, and he proved a most energetic and efficient magistrate, but he was eminently fitted for the position from his experience as a justice of the peace for many years in the county of West Sussex, England, where he also for a time hold the position of a Commissioner of Income Tax. During his residence at Westbury he took a lively interest in the public library and reading-room at that township-and in fact acted as the secretary. He kept the reading-room well supplied with English newspapers and periodicals, and in other ways contributed largely to bring about the prosperity of that useful institution. In church matters lhe was equally ener getic, and the Episcopalian Church bears witness to his zeal in bringing about improvements in that edifice. It is no ilattory to his memory to say that he will be greatly missed by the people of Westbury and by a large circle of friends. The funeral will take place at the Westbury Cemetery to-morrow, the deceased gentleman having frequently expressed a desire that when he died his remains should not be sent to England, but interred near his home in Tasmania.