Burningham, Stainer Henry

1896/5563 Burningham Stainer Henry 58 years

DEATH OF CAPTAIN BURNINGHAM.
A CRIMEAN VETERAN.

A well-known and highly-respected resident of this district, Captain S. H. Burningham, of the North Shore, died this morning at his residence, Taharoto," Lake Takapuna, at the age of 58 years.
The deceased bad been a resident of Auckland for the past 36 years, and had numerous friends throughout the district. For some four months pass Mr Burningham had been suffering severely from cancer in the throat, and he gradually sank until he died peacefully at an early hour this morning in the presence of his family. His eldest son had only arrived from Western Australia lately, on hearing that his father was ill.

The late Mr Burningbam had an eventful career in his early days, being one of the veterans who took part in the Crimean War of 1854-56. He was tho son of the Rev. Mr Burningham, who was rector of Charlwood, Surrey, England, and he began life by joining the Royal Navy as a midehipman. He served on the China and India stations in various men-of-war, and gained his commission as lieutenant.

When the Crimean War broke out in 1854, he was in H.M.S. Retribution, which ship was ordered out of Sebastopol Harbour by the Russians and fired on just before the war began. He saw active service with landing parties during the war, and was engaged in the bombardment of Sebastopol, subsequently receiving the Crimean war medal.

The Retribution was one of the vessels which rode out the disastrous gale in which H.M.S. Tiger and others went ashore. Lieut. Burningham was invalided from the Navy in consequence of having received permanent injury to his ears through the cannonading while Sebastopol was being bombarded, and after serving in H.M.S. Pearl for a time, be came out to New Zealand in the ship Caduceus, landing in Auckland in 1860.

For some time he was engaged in farming at Mahurangi. Afterwards be went into the coastal steam trade, and was the first to open up a steam service with Paeroa and the Upper Thames, with the steam launch La Buona Venture. This was considerably over twenty years ago. Subsequently he had the steamers Pearl and Ruby built for this trade, and for some years afterwards he acted as agent for the steamers in the South Wairoa trade, retiring on his means two or three years ago.

The deceased leaves a widow and five sons and two daughters, one of the latter being in England. By his special request the funeral will be a private one.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 198, 22 August 1896, Page 2