Pitcairners

The Last Of The

"Aunt Selina's" Death at Norfolk Island

ON March 1 there passed away at Norfolk Island, at the age of 87 years, Mrs. Marianne Selina Buffett, affectionately known to both Islanders and Mainlanders as “Aunt Selina,”

She was the last survivor, on Norfolk Island, of the 194 members of the Pit cairn Island community who, on June 8, 1856, landed there to make a new home for themselves. She was only four months old when her mother carried her ashore after a good passage of 36 days from Pitcairn Island.

She was the daughter of Thomas and Louisa Buffett (nee Quintal), and grand daughter of John Buffett, a native of Bristol, England, who, at the request of John Adams (at that time sole survivor of the mutineers of the “Bounty”) landed on Pitcairn Island in December, 1823 from the British ship “Cyrus” to become Pitcairn’s first schoolmaster. In 1873 she married her first cousin, Henry Seymour Buffett. She was one of a family of 11 her husband one of 10, and they had a family of 13. One of their sons was killed in the war of 1914-1918. One son is attached to the Melanesian Mission in the Solomons. Her husband died at Norfolk Island in 1981, aged 84.

“Aunt Selina” was of a kindly and sunny disposition, and had a keen sense of humour. She was a staunch member of the Church of England, and regularly attended what she called “our own church.” She was referring to All Saints’

Church at Kingston (in convict days the Commissariat Store) which the Islanders regard as peculiarly their own—although services are also regularly held in the beautiful Patteson Memorial Chapel.

The funeral was very largely attended and the Administrator (Sir Charles Rosenthal) and Lady Rosenthal were present.

Of the 194 Pitcairn Islanders who landed on Norfolk Island in 1856, 43 soon after wards returned to Pitcairn Island—l 6 in 1858 and 27 in 1863. Included in the 1858 party was a boy of 8 years—Charles Carleton Vieder Young, born April 20, 1850, who accompanied his parents, Moses and Albina Young. My latest in formation from Pitcairn Island was that, at 93 years of age, his health was

indifferent.

J. D. Mccomish.

Mr. C, W. T. Johnson, Assistant Colo nial Secretary of Fiji, has returned to Suva from leave overseas.

Mrs. Marianne Selina Buffet.