DEAR EDITOR, - William Gilbert Rees (Western Telegraph story, April 20th) was born at Derby Farm, near Fern Hill, on April 6th,1827, and baptised at Haroldston St Issells Church the following month.

His father, a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, died at sea in 1829 and the family left the area and WG was educated at the Royal Naval School, Camberwell.

He later taught at Mount Radford School, Exeter, and, while he was there, played cricket for Devonshire.

He went to Australia in 1852 and worked on a sheep station, returning to this country in 1858, when he got married and left for New Zealand. There, he established a sheep station on land adjoining Lake Wakatipu.

Soon afterwards, gold was found nearby and prospectors flocked to the area. WG's wool store was converted into a hotel and around it a town grew which was named Queenstown. He died in 1898 and his name is commemorated in Rees River, Rees Valley, on a tablet in the church and by the memorial.

When he returned to England in 1858 he stayed with his mother's sister and her husband, Dr H. M. Grace, and their ten-year-old son who had been named after him, William Gilbert Grace.

He thought that the young lad even then showed promise as a cricketer and he gave him his first cricket bat.

DILLWYN MILES 9 St Anthony's Way, Haverfordwest.