"Death. WATSON. At New Plymouth, on August 24th. Matthew Watson, late of Oakura, aged 85 years.....The death occurred at the New Plymouth Hospital on Monday of Mr. Matthew Watson, another of Taranaki's war veterans. The late Mr. Watson was born in Huntingdon, England, in 1830, and as a young man he enlisted in the 31st Highlanders, subsequently being transferred tot he 57th Regiment (the Diehards.) With the latter regiment he took part in the Crimean War (1854-1856) including Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastapol and subsequently he saw service with the British and French forces under General Bagaine, which resulted in the capture of Kimbourn, and later still with he Diehards in the Indian Mutiny. It was in 1861 that the late Mr. Watson arrived in New Zealand and he took part in the Maori War in Taranaki with the 57th [mistakenly recorded in obituary as the 7th]. On receiving his discharge he settle in the Oakura district, where he farmed in a small way. he hardly ever went further afield from his farm than New Plymouth, but when King George and Queen Mary, then the Duke and Duchess of York, came to New Zealand in 1901, he decided to go to Wellington as one of the veterans to be present at the Royal reception. He accompanied Mr G. A. Adlam, and before leaving New Plymouth was fixed up as well as possible by his grandson, Mr J Elliott, with ribbons for his numerous medals. When the company of veterans was being inspected, Mr Watson's medals and bars attracted the attention o the Duchess, who examined them, and asked the veteran if he thought he had earned them. Watson replied that he certainly thought so, that he had had three brothers killed in the Crimea and was wounded himself. The Duchess also asked the veteran if those were the best ribbons he could get, when he replied in the affirmative, Her Royal Highness called and A.D.C requesting him to take a note of Mr. Watson's name and the medals he wore and promised to send him new colours for his decorations, and new colours reached Mr. Watson three months later. He leaves a widow and a family of seven sons and seven daughters." Source: The Weekly Budget 25 August 1914