and of the zeal he uniformly displayed in all that concerned the welfare of the church. The Court also sympathise with the widow and relatives of the late Mr Gillies in their bereavement."
In September 1873 the church lost another prominent standardbearer by the death of Mr James Wilkie, senior, at the comparatively early age of 56 years.
James Wilkie was born at Forneth, in the parish of Clunie, Perthshire, in 1817, and arrived in Otago in 1852. He attended for some time the ministry of the Rev. Mr Jeffreys, and took an active part in the measures for establishing a second Presbyterian Church in Dunedin, being a member of one of the committees appointed to give effect to the decision that had been come to. On the arrival of Mr Stuart and family in 1860, Mr Wilkie placed at their disposal for a time a house rent-free, until the manse was ready for occupation. He was one of the first elected elders of Knox Church, and as an office-bearer and member of the congregation he willingly rendered much valuable service. He was not of a robust constitution, and, finding himself in a position to do so, he retired from active business about the year 1862, and ever afterwards devoted a very large share of his time and attention to benevolent and religious work. He was naturally of a modest and retiring disposition. Although preferring to give a helping hand to the poor and needy in the quietest manner possible, yet his strong sense of duty impelled him to associate with others in a more public manner in forwarding objects of a benevolent and useful character. He took a warm interest in the operations of the Otago Benevolent Institution, and was a most active and useful member of its managing committee for a number of years. He was one of its vice-presidents at the time of his death.
The following is the resolution of the Session on the occasion of Mr Wilkies removal:—"In the death of Mr James Wilkie, Knox Church has sustained a great loss. One of its founders and first elders, he always laboured with unflagging zeal to promote its prosperity and usefulness. A wise counsellor and steady friend, he extended ready and liberal support to all its agencies. As a member of the church, he was most exemplary in his attendance upon ordinances, while as an office-bearer he was seldom absent from the Session or Deacons' Court, and never when ways and means had to be devised
