Welsh Pioneers in New Zealand

WELSH PIONEERS IN NEW ZEALAND Research by Linda Bevan Smith As we, Welsh people, travel around New Zealand, the land of our adoption, we cannot help but notice placenames familiar to us. It might be the name of a range of mountains, a river, a suburb or a street. Several Welsh people have left their mark, but often we have no evidence of who they might be. Often records such as shipping lists and entries in biographical dictionaries make no distinction between Welsh and English people, or fail to name the place where they originated, whilst the Scots and the Irish were listed separately. It is obvious that Welsh immigrants were few in number, yet many have contributed greatly in various fields of expertise. The prominent ones were missionaries and ministers, but whalers, sealers, runholders and goldminers all made their mark, frequently surveying, exploring and mapping as they went. Little is recorded of Welsh women in New Zealand, although some came as nurses, governesses, servants and teachers. Photographs of these early pioneers are hard to find. To research these little-known Welsh people, I read Ashton's "The Welsh in New Zealand", followed by a shelf search at the National Library, where I discovered McNab's "Historical Records" and selected books on pioneers in South and North Islands. Then I searched the Bibliographical Card Index of the National Library for Welsh sounding names mentioned in the books. References to the New Zealand Biographies were followed up as were those for the 'Turnbull Letters' (scrapbooks of letters sent to the Alexander Turnbull Library are kept as are the replies). Some of these in turn referred me to the Turnbull Archives and Manuscripts. Some references in the New Zealand Biographies got me nowhere until I discovered the 'Cyclopedia of New Zealand' on microfiche, and by chance the 'Dictionary of New Zealand Biography'. What follows are condensed extracts from the lives of some of the more interesting people that I read about. (Words or dates followed by a question mark are of unknown or doubtful authenticity, or may conflict with other information.) Captain John Grono RN? John Grono, master mariner and shipbuilder, itinerant sealer and whaler, was born at Milford Haven in 1767? and died 4 May 1847 aged 84? He arrived in New South Wales in 1788. His wife Elizabeth from London arrived with him or shortly afterwards. Soon after his arrival he obtained a grant of land of 200 acres on the Hawkesbury River, where he built a fine 2-storey house, calling the estate Grono Park. He carried on farming, but was unsuccessful at sheep breeding because of wild dogs and the scrubby nature of the land. The farmwork was done by Government men although he employed free men, thought to be tradesmen shipwrights. They built a number of vessels, "Australia", "Elizabeth", "Governor Bourke (Bligh?)", "Speedwell", "Ferret", and "Bennelong", used for sealing and whaling in New Zealand waters, also bringing back pork, flax for rope-making, and spars. He was founder of the Ebenezer Church in 1809 where the Grono family have a vault, and marked out grants of land to men who had served their terms and were free. On his voyages to New Zealand he captained the "Governor Bligh" giving name to Bligh Sound. He explored the southern coast, naming places including Milford Haven (now known as Milford Sound), Mount Pembroke, and the Cleddau Valley. He established a seasonal sealing base for himself at Doubtful Sound - "Gronow's" - and frequented MacQuarrie Island. On Secretary Island he named Grono Bay and Grono Mountain, and it is from this island off New Zealand's west coast that he rescued a sealing gang, 9 or more men, after 3 years of their being marooned. He also took off 8700 sealskins, leaving 2500 behind. He took these sealers to Port Jackson and was given 3200 skins for rescuing and transporting them and the skins. Three of these sealers married his daughters. He eventually died a poor man, thought to be caused by his partnership with a storekeeper in Sydney. Two of his ships were lost with all hands and their cargoes of skins. The estate is thought to be still in the family. James Gwynn Captain of the 'Ann', an American-built ship of 288 tons with a crew of 22, which brought convicts from Britain to Australia. She reprovisioned there and set off for New Zealand for the purpose of whaling. On May 16th, 1805, the 'Ann' is listed entering inwards, Port Jackson Harbour, NSW with a general cargo of 130 tons of sperm oil, usually transported in barrels (1 ton = 252 gallons). Captain Gwynn was instrumental in reporting to magistrates in Sydney the loss of the 'Boyd', set fire to at "Whangarowe" by Maori, and the massacre of the crew; and the 'Mary', which capsized and foundered off East Cape in March 1810. In 1814 Captain Gwynn sailed from England to Paramatta and "touched Norfolk Island for refreshments." There he rescued a Maori sailor cruelly treated and abandoned by the crew of his previous ship. By December 1814 Gwynn was no longer captain of the 'Ann'. Robert Williams; ropemaker, flax and hemp dresser Williams, a prisoner of the colony of New South Wales, arrived in the 'Ann'. He was qualified in the manufacture of ropes, and was chosen in March 1813 to voyage on the brig 'Perseverance' to New Zealand to investigate the supply of flax. Governor MacQuarrie of NSW stipulated that he should return within two months of departure. Williams was the subject of a letter from the Governor to Downing Street requesting that as he was able to manufacture flax into cordage and sailcloth, and owing to his character, he should be sent to NZ, and that a small British colony should be established there with a detachment of troops. In 1814 an agreement was drawn up to send Williams to Foveaux Strait - to Port Williams - with a vessel, crew, provisions, material for building, and machinery as Williams desired. During the crossing they rescued five men off Solander Island after being marooned on it for 4 - 5 years, destitute of relief. Exploration of the area of Port MacQaurrie was undertaken, searching for flax. A ropewalk was constructed in 1819. Agreements were drawn up with the New Zealand Company for the 'constant support of Robert Williams and his wife Mary'. Stephen Carkeek 1815 - 1878 This old colonist was a prominent figure in the very early days of colonisation of New Zealand. He was born in Swansea in 1815 and arrived in New South Wales as a 1st officer of a convict ship. He commanded a revenue cutter and landed in Waitemata, New Zealand, as an officer for the Customs Service in 1840. Under instructions from Governor Hobson (H.M. Consul in NZ) he commanded the Government brig and took a coastal survey party from the Bay of Islands to Auckland. In 1841 he established the Customs post in Nelson and erected the first wooden building which he brought with him from Kororareka (later named Russell), then the capital city. In 1849 he transferred to Wellington as Collector of Customs. The first time ball to give nautical time to shipping was established by Stephen Carkeek. He was an enthusiastic astronomer and after retiring to Featherston he constructed his own private observatory. John Ellis Born in Cardiff in 1817?, he arrived at Nelson in the ship 'Bernecia' in 1848, with his wife Caroline and daughters Mary Ann aged 7, Margaret aged 2, and Bernecia born at sea. Travelling on the same ship was John (Ned) James, Mary Jones his wife, and their son William. The Ellis family lived at Wai-iti where John followed his usual profession as a pit-sawyer, moving to Grove after five years where he became the first sawyer. In 1855 he settled in Collingwood, buying a section. With John (Ned) James in October 1856 he was the first to find gold in the area but received no Government recognition because others had also made claims. Many valuable nuggets were dug out, one ending up in the Wellington Museum. While goldmining, he discovered a seam of coal, and was rewarded £25. William Gilbert Rees 1827 - 1898 William Gilbert Rees was born in Wales, the son of Commander W. L. Rees RN and cousin of W. G. Grace. Although his parents expected him to join the Royal Marines he turned to engineering and served his articles in Wales. In 1852 he came to Australia, managing two stations in Queensland. He returned to England in 1858, married and returned to New Zealand that year. With N. Von Tunzelmann in Jan 1860 he navigated Lake Wakatipu on a raft, mapping its size, shape and position and naming Wye Creek and the Shotover River, and began exploring Central Otago searching for sheep country. In October 1860 he returned to Wakatipu, bringing a five-oared whaleboat overland from Invercargill. Contemporary explorers maintained that Rees did the most valuable work regarding Wakatipu, Queenstown and the head of the lake. Rees took 300,000 acres on the east side of the lake, including the Arrow Run, in a partnership. The sheep were brought from Victoria in 1861. The homestead was situated on the site of Queenstown. In 1862, Maori Jack reported gold in the Arrow River and the run was reclaimed by the Government. Rees removed his homestead to The Falls. Subsequently he assumed responsibility for the welfare of many impoverished gold prospectors. In 1883 he took employment as an inspector of the Stock Department in South Canterbury and subsequently Westland, Blenheim and Wellington.

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