George Clarke (judge)

George Clarke (27 January 1798 – 29 July 1875) was a New Zealand missionary, teacher, public servant, politician and judge. He was born in Wymondham, Norfolk, England on 27 January 1798.[1] He joined the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Clarke married Martha Elizabeth Blomfield (born 11 December 1802 in Wymondham).[2] the second daughter of Ezekiel Blomfield, a Congregational minister.[3]

Clarke, his wife Martha and family (including their son George Clarke jr.) arrived in New Zealand on 4 April 1824.[4][5] George was trained as a blacksmith and was appointed to the CMS mission in Kerikeri.[6] Then he worked at the Waimate mission, teaching the Māori students.[7][8] From 1831 to 1839 Clarke and Richard Davis managed the farm at Waimate North at which Maori students learnt farming skills.[1] He was appointed as secretary of the CMS in New Zealand.[1]

In 1840 Clarke was made protector of aborigines by the recently appointed lieutenant-governor, Captain Hobson.[1] The seat of government was transferred to Auckland, and there Clarke bought a large block of land from the Māori for the government.

Governor George Grey abolished the protectorate in 1846. He returned to Waimate North and became a farmer and resumed his work as secretary of the CMS in New Zealand. However controversy in relation to land purchases by CMS missionaries resulted in Clarke being dismissed from the CMS in 1849.[1] Clarke was elected to the Auckland Provincial Council and served from 1853 to 1855. He was appointed a judge of the Native Land Court in 1865. He died at Waimate North on 29 July 1875.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Grover, Ray. "George Clarke". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved December 2011.
  2. ↑ Rogers, Lawrence M. (1973). Te Wiremu: A Biography of Henry Williams. Pegasus Press, New Zealand.
  3. ↑ "Blain Biographical Directory of Anglican clergy in the South Pacific" (PDF). 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ↑ A. H. McLintock, ed. (1966). "CLARKE, George". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "George Clarke (1798–1875". Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Williams, Frederic Wanklyn. "Through Ninety Years, 1826–1916: Life and Work Among the Maoris in New Zealand: Notes of the Lives of William and William Leonard Williams, First and Third Bishops of Waiapu (Chapter 3)". Early New Zealand Books (NZETC).
  7. ↑ Williams, William (1974). The Turanga journals, 1840–1850. F. Porter (Ed). p. 34.
  8. ↑ "Te Waimate Mission House". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2009-12-01.


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