Died March 26th, 1920.
After a somewhat lengthy illness, Mr . Thomas Elgie Jefferson died at Ballahot, Malew, on Friday evening, March 26th. The deceased gentleman, who was 63 years old, was a son of the late Mr E. Jefferson, and nephew of the late Mr William Bickerstaff Jefferson, from whom he inherited Ballahot, where, after some experience in the Colonies, he carried on business as a farmer and lime-burner. In his youth, he served in the Zulu War. His wife (formerly Miss Evelyn Blythe) survives him. Except for one who died in infancy, there was only one child, the late Capt. Elgie E. B. Jefferson, Croix de Guerre, who, after a brilliant Career in the Royal Air Service, was killed on May 19th, 1919, while passenger carrying for the Government between London and Paris. Capt. Jefferson (who, like his father before him, was an old boy of King William’s College) frequently carried most distinguished personages to Paris—including Mr Bonar Law, when attending the Peace Conference—and, on the occasion when his craft was lost, was carrying over one of the Government’s most valued experts on the subject of improving the product of wheat cultivation. Capt. Jefferson’s body was subsequently found off the coast of France, and is buried there. Many of our readers will call to mind the fondness of Mr Jefferson for litigation, when he sometimes won. He also kept some dogs of the Great Dane breed, which were considered dangerous, and had to be kept under strict control. Mr Jefferson never got over his son’s death. — The funeral took place on Mar. 30, at Malew Churchyard, and was well attended by a large number of friends from the surrounding parishes.—Mrs Jefferson has the sympathy of everyone in her great bereavement.