EARLY BAY OF PLENTY FAMILIES (5) - George White

EARLY BAY OF PLENTY FAMILIES (5) - George White

Original documentation was obtained by Luisa Olivia Kongaika (maiden, Brown) from an unknown source in New Zealand. Before her passing in 2007, she asked her eldest daughter, Luisa Domine to finish the work she started. The original documents were then sent to another of Luisa's sons, Isileli Tupou Kongaika in Hawaii. The following was typed by Joel Kongaika, son of Isileli Tupou Kongaika on 3/23/08. Isileli's eldest daughter, Liana Olivia Kinikini cross matched the original document with Joel's transferred manuscript on 3/24/08

EARLY BAY OF PLENTY FAMILIES (5)

George and Bennett White

Douglas Ohitty

Epsom, Auckland.

Two of the earliest settlers in the Bay of Plenty were the White brothers, George who arrived in the 1820s and Bennett who joined him a few years later. They were the sons of Abraham White, Surgeon of H.M, 44th Regt. India, and Elizabeth Theordore, nee Driberg, the only daughter of the Dutch Commandant of Ceylon – Baron van Driberg.

The von driberg “were directly related to Abel Tasman” by Maria mother of Elizabeth, so perhaps that influenced the children in later choosing New Zealand as home. George and Bennett were both born in Ceylon, on 3 August, 1912 and 19 February 1812 respectively. They had three brothers and two sisters as follows:-

Herbert William George WHITE (1808-1842), a lieutenant in the 44th Regiment and killed in the Kyber Pass massacre.

James Charles WHITE (1809-1894), born in Ceylon and drowned in the wreck of the S.S. “Wairarapa” off Great Barrier Island while visiting New Zealand from Australia.

Charlotte Elizabeth WHITE (1811-1862), married Thomas West HAGGER, an officer of the madras 8th Cavalry. The couple moved to Australia, and were survived by five children

George William WHITE (3 Aug, 1812-1897) born Jaffna, Ceylon

Susannah WHITE born 7 Sept, 1813 at Trincomolee. Married Edward Malby, a naval lieutenant who later joined the Ceylon Company. This couple spend some time in Sydney and eventually migrated to New Zealand where they settled at Paura Bay, Wangarei.

Charles Peter WHITE (1815-1858), educated at Bishops College, Calcutta, and married Ann DENHAM. No issue.

Graham Bennett WHITE (February 19, 1818 (10pm)-1867).

When his father died in 1818, George, along with the other children, came under the guardianship of a Mr. Layard, a wealthy Judge, in Ceylon. At the age of 15 he was sent to England, along with his other brothers, to finish his education. However, he chose instead to run away to sea and in 1828 at the age of 16 years he arrived in New Zealand where he then remained.

Unlike George, Bennett remained to finish his education in England and from there he journeyed to Australia to visit his brother, James. Carrying on to New Zealand, he found George and also chose to settle in the Bay of Plenty.

George White married “Ringa Ono”, the daughter of Rangitakina, chief of the Napotiki, Matata, and becam Hans Tapsell’s agent there. He was also known as HORI WAIITI. Their only child Charlotte, also known as Harata was born at Matata in October 1837. White took his wife and daughter to Sydney to his sister Mrs. Hagger, and it was here that the former died in childbirth. She was buried in a cemetery now the position of Martin’s Place. A lament she composed upon leaving New Zealand is translated as follows:

Love within my bosom swelling

Nought on earth can but express

Rends my aching heart asunder

Heedless of Thy anger Rangi

In a foreign barque embarking

I to other lands will wander.

No further from C_ _ _ tempt me

Leave me here in peace relining

Backward to my country looking.

Returning to New Zealand, White left his daughter Charlotte with her aunt in Sydney where she was educated. Later, she returned to her father who had remarried by then and was living in Ponsonby, Auckland. It was here at White’s home that Valentine “Taina” and also mentions his early association with White in “A Tale of Olden Time” as recorded in the HISTORICAL REVIEW. (Vol. VIII, No. 1, March, 1960). Charlotte married Thomas BROWN in 1857 and was also known as HARATA PARAONE. She died on 16 December, 1921, and is buried near Captain Hobson beside Grafton Bridge in Auckland.

At Matata, George White acted as agent for Hans Tapsell, the Maketu trader, and while he was there Tautari, a Whakatane chief enlisted the help of some Ngapuhi Maoris then at Maketu to raid Rangitakina against whom the chief had a grudge and although Rangitakina escaped into the Rangitaiki Swamp along with his wife and family, White and his wife Ring Ono were left behind. White was spared but the store was plundered and Ringa Ono was taken prisoner by the raiders who then returned to Maketu. As the result of White’s entreaties, Tapsell ransomed the woman for a double-barrelled gun, trade value of 18 pounds, and she was able to return to her husband. Later on, when Tapsell lost his trading station at Maketu as the result of tribal wars, White was able to repay the debt in a sense by providing him with food and shelter while he (Tapsell) was escaping to Rotorua with his Maori wife. The latter was an advanced state of pregnancy and their child, Retreat Tapsell, was born at Mokoia Island, Lake Rotorua, shortly after arrival there.

Some years after this, Tapsell was desirous of obtaining the Island of Matata, as that area of land lying between the Matata Lagoon and the sea was called before the Tarawera River “cut” was put through, and offered to buy it from Rangitakina who agreed rather reluctantly, only out of gratitude for the ransoming of his daughter. In 1867 Tapsell’s son, Retreat, preferred a claim to the island, along with Whale Island and White Island, but it was disallowed although the other two claims were granted.

White’s daughter, Charlotte Brown or Harata Paraone, also claimed the area and evidence was taken at Te Awa o te Atua (now Matata) on 14 December 1867. Giving evidence on her behalf, Poihipi Te Kohu said she was the rightful owner as she was a granddaughter of Rangitakina and the daughter of George White (Hori Waiiti) and that all her male relatives had died before her, adding that “claimant’s father had a claim to land also. He bought all the land up to Mt. Edge-cumbe for some tobacco.”

George White died toward the end of the last century at Whangarei while visiting his sister Mrs. Malby.

We shall now deal with Bennett White and his Family He arrived in New Zealand sometime in the 1830s and eventually married Mere Te Wia (daughter of Tikitu), the Ngatiawa chief. There were five sons and three daughters of the union as follows:

William (Billy) – of Mercury Bay, boat builder.

James (1850-?) – of Whakatane and Opotiki, boat builder and storekeeper.

George (1853 – Aug. 1949) – of Mercury Bay and Gisborne.

Robert – of Mercury Bay.

Albert – of Mercury Bay, also a boat builder.

Charlotte – who became Mrs. Hooper of Whakatane.

Ellen- who became Mrs. McGregor.

Mary – who became Mrs. Cowie.

William, or Billy as he seems to have been more commonly known, became renowned as a builder of boats of all descriptions and it is possibly to him that George White and Taina Savage apprenticed (refer again to HISTORICAL REVIEW, Vol. VIII).

But all the brothers were outstanding personalities, e.g., great athletes, runners, yachtsmen, and rowers. James in particular, who after leaving school, served his apprenticeship with Mr. George Geddis, boat builder, North Shore, Auckland. In 1869, he took charge of coasting steamer for his uncle, George White, and twelve months later joined his brother William in boat building at Mercury Bay. Afterwards, he commenced boat building at Whakatane and a number of fine vessles were built by him. One of the best was for the Hon. William Kelly, M.L.C. In 1872, he moved to Opotiki where he went into partnership with Mr. R.T. Abbott as a general store keeper. He held the Royal Humane Society’s silver medal and certificate for saving life. The date of his death which occurred this century is not known to the author at present.

The third son, George, at the age of 12 years was present with his father on the cutter “Kate”, 23-75 tons and commanded by Capt. Frederick Pringle, when that vessel was seized by the Hauhaus at Whakatane on 21 July 1865. These Maoris led by Parahara and inspired by Horomona, the Hauhau prophet murdered James Fulloon and several others. A Hauhau presented his rifle at Bennett White but the weapon repeatedly misfired and Parahara knocked it up telling White that God had spared him. Father and son were ordered into a boat along with some others and they landed at Otamawa four miles along the coast where the Whites remained prisoners for three days before escaping in the direction of Matata.

The reason for attacking the vessel, which ad been chartered by Bennett White for purposes of trading along this coast, was stated at the eventual trial of Parahara and others to have been due to its having crossed the Aukati, or Hauhau Line, drawn by Kereopa. This was a ‘line’ running from Taranaki over the summits of Tongariro, Ruawahio and Edgecumbe to Te Awa o te Atua (Otamaroa), then by sea outside the Rutima Rooks to the East Cape, and any vessels crossing it must be presumed to be hostile to the Hauhau cause.

Capt. Pringle may have been unaware of the ‘restriction’ or perhaps being aware of it, decided to sail on to Whakatane from Maketu in order to save the Whites. On arrival there, those on board could see that there was a big commotion on the river bank just from the bar. Capt. Pringle sent a boat ashore to bring off the Whites, father and son and after the parties conferred together, decided against stopping any longer. However before they could get the wind into their sails they were boarded by the hostile Maoris. .Parahara and several of his companions were hanged for the offences but this was not until they had been captured by Major Willaim Mair and his forces at the siege of Te Teko in October 1865.

Unfortunately, Bennett White was not to be spared for long, however. The following year (sometime after March, 1866) while riding from Whakatane to Opotiki he was ambushed at Waiotahi beach by a party of Waimana Hauhaus led by their chief Tamaikowha. White was shot from ambush at a_p_ grove on the right bank of the river, close to the mouth and it is stated that the main highway to Opotiki traverses the spot. The unfortunate man’s head was cut off and stuck on a rock alongside the track, and it is claimed that Tamaikowha had portions of the body cooked for a cannibal feast.

George, the son, had a colourful career as a bushman in the boom days of Mercury Bay. In 1884 at Auckland, he married Miss Lillian Short. The couple moved to Gisborne in 1912. At his death in 1949, George was survived by seven married daughters. Mrs. White predeceased him in 1946.

Descendants of Bennett White’s other children and descendants particularly his daughters are well known residents of the Whakatane district, and are by heritage of the Ngatiawa Tribe.

In the Auckland Art Gallery is a picture of a Maori girl EONO, thought to be painted at Whakatane by Merrett in 1850. This was presented to the Gallery by Captain Rough, Auckland’s first Harbourmaster, and is reputed to be the wife of a Mr. White.

The name and the features, which are about identical to Ringa Ono’s granddaughter, suggest that the subject of the picture was George White’s wife, but others claim that she was Bennett White.

It is a mystery which may never be solved but typical of such an investigation into early lives – a hopeful lead which often ends against a brick wall.