Obituaries Australia

Mrs. Elizabeth Nelson, relict of the late Constable Samuel Nelson, who was shot by the bushranger Dunn at Collector about fifty years ago, died at her residence in GoldSmith-street at-8.15 on Wednesday morning. The deceased had been been an invalid for five years, and at Christmas time she was stricken with a stroke of paralysis. The late Mrs. Nelson was 85 years of age, and was born in England. She had lived in New South Wales for about sixty years. The deceased old lady was a great church woman, and was a prominent member of .the Church of England. Previous to her illness five years ago she interested herself in every function connected with the Church and her assistance in church work was invaluable. She was a wonderful old lady, for notwithstanding her advanced years she possessed exceptionally good eyesight, and, in spite of the fact that she  occoupied a lot of her time in sewing and knitting she never, required the use of spectacles. The late Mrs. Nelson's death revises the old bush ranging days. At the time when the bushrangers were causing alarm around Collector her husband was a police constable belonging to the local force. While the sergeant of police and other constable were out scouring the countryside for traces of the outlaws, Ben Hall's gang entered the town and stuck up Kimberley's Hotel. The deceased's husband, who was the only remaining constable in the town, hearing of the bushranges, went towards the hotel, and on the way was shot dead by Dunn. For the constable's brave act the Government many years afterwards pensioned his widow, and the late Mrs. Nelson was drawing this up to the time of her death. The deceased leaves a family of five sons and three daughters, the sons being Messers. Henry, Jonas, Samuel, Albert (Goulburn), and Thomas (Victoria), and the daughters Mrs. Ifield and Mrs. Raynnor (Sydney), and Mrs. E. Blackshaw (Goulburn). She also leaves 40 grandchildren and several greant-grandchildren.