Paihia Old Land Claims Commission tracing
On 9 February 1840, the Reverend Henry Williams conducted a special church service in the Mission Church at Paihia. It was attended by William Hobson, the officers of the Herald, and members of the civil service.
Henry Williams had played an important role in securing signatures to te Tiriti o Waitangi. As well as translating the Treaty into Te Reo Māori, Williams later gathered further signatures around Aotearoa New Zealand on behalf of the Crown.
Historians have since debated the motives of Williams and the differences in the two texts. Some suggest that it is possible Williams chose ambiguous wording in order to secure Māori agreement, believing that Māori welfare would best be served under British sovereignty. Others note the extensive land holdings of Williams. During the 5 February hui, a settler told Hobson that Māori were saying “a great deal about land and missionaries which Mr Williams does not translate to you, Sir”. In response Williams addressed the settlers in English, and defended his land purchases. Williams’s justifications for his sizeable holdings were that:
• the title would be investigated by the commissioners and that others would do well to have “as good and honest titles … as the missionaries”;
• the missionaries deserved some reward for having “laboured for so many years in this land when others were afraid to show their noses”;
• his 11 children were all born in the colony; and
• when he died it would be seen that there was not very much to go around his large family.
The investigation of land sales before 1840 were conducted by the Old Land Claims Commission, and these are held by Archives New Zealand. This tracing comes from one investigation into the land owned by Williams and the Mission Society at Paihia, and shows its considerable size. ‘Ti Point’, at the mouth of the Waitangi River, marks the site of Te Tii Marae.
Archives Reference: OLC Box 34/
This record is part of #Waitangi175, celebrating 175 years since the signing of of te Tiriti o Waitangi. You can see other real time tweets on Twitter (twitter.com/ArchivesNZ), or explore the Waitangi 175 album here on Flickr.
Material supplied by Archives New Zealand
Caption information from T. Lindsay Buick, ‘The Treaty of Waitangi’ and www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/waitangi-tribunal/Reports/h...
Paihia Old Land Claims Commission tracing
On 9 February 1840, the Reverend Henry Williams conducted a special church service in the Mission Church at Paihia. It was attended by William Hobson, the officers of the Herald, and members of the civil service.
Henry Williams had played an important role in securing signatures to te Tiriti o Waitangi. As well as translating the Treaty into Te Reo Māori, Williams later gathered further signatures around Aotearoa New Zealand on behalf of the Crown.
Historians have since debated the motives of Williams and the differences in the two texts. Some suggest that it is possible Williams chose ambiguous wording in order to secure Māori agreement, believing that Māori welfare would best be served under British sovereignty. Others note the extensive land holdings of Williams. During the 5 February hui, a settler told Hobson that Māori were saying “a great deal about land and missionaries which Mr Williams does not translate to you, Sir”. In response Williams addressed the settlers in English, and defended his land purchases. Williams’s justifications for his sizeable holdings were that:
• the title would be investigated by the commissioners and that others would do well to have “as good and honest titles … as the missionaries”;
• the missionaries deserved some reward for having “laboured for so many years in this land when others were afraid to show their noses”;
• his 11 children were all born in the colony; and
• when he died it would be seen that there was not very much to go around his large family.
The investigation of land sales before 1840 were conducted by the Old Land Claims Commission, and these are held by Archives New Zealand. This tracing comes from one investigation into the land owned by Williams and the Mission Society at Paihia, and shows its considerable size. ‘Ti Point’, at the mouth of the Waitangi River, marks the site of Te Tii Marae.
Archives Reference: OLC Box 34/
This record is part of #Waitangi175, celebrating 175 years since the signing of of te Tiriti o Waitangi. You can see other real time tweets on Twitter (twitter.com/ArchivesNZ), or explore the Waitangi 175 album here on Flickr.
Material supplied by Archives New Zealand
Caption information from T. Lindsay Buick, ‘The Treaty of Waitangi’ and www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/waitangi-tribunal/Reports/h...