Etahi Taputai

Letter by James Geary(son of John Dennis Geary) about the history of his Grandfather William Geary

From the G.C.Thomson Papers in the HOCKEN LIBRARY MS 439/12/16 Archives and Manuscripts

(It is unsure exactly who James is writing to. According to Celia Geary “James Geary was born in Portobello on 16^th May 1867. At time of writing he sounds like an old man. He died 10 Oct, 1942.” I have added in Celia Geary’s comments and potential corrections on the letter in italics – David Geary, Vancouver, 26 Jan, 2020. It is a hand-written letter, so some spelling I am unsure of. It is indicated with sp?)

MANUTAHI

Taranaki

Dear Sir – I received your letter Re the history of my Grandfather William Geary.

He came out to Australia from Nottinghamshire in 1830 (CG: as a convict) he worked for some time with Squatters in NS Wales (CG: Tasmania) (CG: hard labour till 1838)

A man called Andy More and he shipped on a American whaler at Sydney. He was eighteen months at sea (CG: Jan 1840) when they came back there was a dispute (over the pay) which was taken to court, and they lost everything.

They then engaged with Mr John Jones to work on a Whaling Station at Waikouaiti, I believe he came over on the “Magnet”; what year I don’t know (CG: 1840).

William Geary and this companion worked on the whaling station for one year, about that time Johny Jones bought land from the Maoris, the farm was afterwards named Cherry Farm, Grandfather gave up the whaling as it was dangerous. A whaling boat was upset 3 times in one day, so he applied for a job on the farm and he was the man who put up the first fence on Cherry Farm.

Jone’s brother Thomas Jones was Manager. He worked on the farm for some time, then Johny Jones became insolvent, the men could not be paid in money, he (William Geary) took a cow in part payment, and shipped her over in an open boast from Waikouaiti to Otago Heads.

That was the first cow to land on the Peninsula (CG: about 1843) (CG: He also worked for the Weller Bros Whalers at Otakou)

He leased a piece of land from the Karatai Te Uaite (White) ( I don’t know the spelling of the name) and cleared the bush. The first grass seed he got from an English Whaler who called at the Heads on his way to Sydney so that gave him the start for grass for pastorage.

Afterwards he bought 100 acres from Tairoa for some money a boat and a piece of greenstone?

Henry Crook drew up the agreement and there were no witnesses to it (Henry Crook was the Harbour pilot-ferryman. Later… ???)

As to the date of the arrival, the nearest I can get to it, is by referring to a letter received by the family at home in Nottingham, asking them to come out to New Zealand. His wife has died (CG: 1839) before the letter arrived and the children were in the care of relatives who said they were too young to travel so far as they would have to go to Sydney first and then tranship (sp?) for New Zealand.

This letter was written by Henry Crook and received by the family in 1837 (CG: Not possible more likely 1841-1843 or later) and was in the keeping of William Geary the elder son who brought it out with him in 1856. He promised to give it to my eldest brother George, but after his death no one knew anything about it. I suppose it would be destroyed with all the other old letters, etc. My father John Geary (White John - DG) came out in 1859.

Taking into consideration they had a long round about to travel, having to wait for the schooner to take the letter to Sydney, then by sailing ship to London, I think it would really be over a year before they got the answer back.

He married again and had 3 sons Jack, Tommy & Billy (John, Thomas, William Jr - DG) whose descendants are in the district yet on the peninsula Tairi and Oamaru (I think.CG)

A Missionary the Rev Everett stationed at the Kaik ??? was going home to England and Grandfather asked him to call and see Uncle and my Father and get them to come which they did.

Grandfather had the first cow on the peninsula, some time after Harwood and Driver (CG: about 1853?) had 12 head of cattle, 11 heifer, and a bull sent over from Sydney, they had taken up land off the Maoris. Harwood was Clerk (Like a secretaryCG) for a Sydney whaling Co. Driver was Pilot for all the shipping.

Grandfather was on the beach when “Magnet” called at Waikouaiti with passengers including the Careys, Woolseys & the Beals and some others and helped to carry them ashore.

He also knew Bill & Ken Coleman who were drowned the boast capsized when they went out to a ship to get stores. I don’t know the year when these people came to work for Jones. I think it would be about 1840

(CG on above: WiIliam (White) Geary,1856 only old stories & William (convict) could bend truth)

William Geary Sen. Was drowned in Nov 1866. I was not born until 1867 so don't know him personally, but have heard my father John Geary and my Uncle William (CG: White English) about the early days when he was a boy. These were hard times. Strenuous. there were no roads, transport was carried on mainly by rowing boats, some years afterwards Bullocks were used.

Sometimes they had long waits for the Schooners from Sydney so they were often long overdue. And the little community at the Kaik were often reduced to fish and potatoes, once they were so reduced when the planting season was on they had to cut the eyes out of the potatoes for planting.

They began to grow wheat Grandfather got a little hand mill and used to grind the corn for them. Before that the Maoris made lillipy (Maori name for a sort of porridge)CG. by boiling the wheat and eating that way.

1840 to 1852. At this time New Zealand was under NSW and prisoners were held over until the Schooner arrived to take them across to Sydney to be tried in the Supreme Court. All the evidence was taken and written down for the trial.

A Maori had killed a European Whaler, the Schooner was a long time overdue, the guard had grown careless and had left his gun in a place where the Maori saw an opportunity for ending all his misery of waiting of being transhipped and perhaps being hanged in a foreign country.

They had allowed him to have his wife with him occasionally and she was with him then. Somehow he got hold of the gun, she stood behind him and when he shot himself the bullet went through her also and both were shot.

The little community were afraid if they were lenient with him and let him off it would make the Maoris think they were weak and they might rise in rebellion again and massacre the whole of the Europeans as they had threatened to do before and they had had to take to the bush for protection until the Maoris had quietened down.

Garrett Clearwater was a Whaler and was in Akaroa at the time when New Zealand was proclaimed a British possession in 1840. He was at the ceremony as all Europeans and Maoris round there were invited and saw the French Ship Man-O-War come too late as the English sloop were in 3 days before and had the Mast erected and the British colours were flying from the top when the foreigner came in. He settled on the Peninsula shortly afterwards and two of his sons Wm (William.CG)& Robt Clearwater married Uncle Williams two daughters.

Charlotte & Alice, Charlotte still lives with daughter Mrs Sheppard at Tapanui Inlet. Alice lives at Mataura on her farm there.

Before 1840 the currency was American dollars. After the Accession, they had to get the money changed in English coinage else they would lose by it.

My Grandfather along with a good many more took passage in Paddy Gilroy’s Schooner bound for Wellington. The ship was wrecked at Wellington Heads (CG: No record of this found)

Many of the passengers were drowned.

Grandfather managed to swim for shore along with some of the survivors. The weather was misty and wet, there was a Maori Pa just over the hills from there. The Maoris were rather hostile so they came back to the wreck. There happened to be some empty Whale oil barrels on the beach they slept in them all night. Next Morning at low water she was high and dry so they managed to get their belongings and she was floated again.

Paddy Gilroy died at Bluff about 1890 (CG: I have researched Paddy Gilroy extensively and cannot authenticate this story)

There is a little bit of history as far as I can remember the Maoris had planned to make a raid on a Whaling Station at Millers Island near Cape Saunders. The whalers were forewarned by a friendly/sympathetic Maori and the whalers were ready and they shot the boat the Maoris were in and it sank and drowned the lot.

Afterwards when the Maoris were missed by the Europeans population at the Heads the Maoris would not tell anything about it when they inquired where they were, but it came out afterwards through those who were married to Maori women.

There was an American ship came in. the Maoris came on board as usual bargaining at the same time they were taking too many things. The Captain gave orders to lift anchor and up sail and turn to sea a short way and ordered the crew to throw all the Maoris overboard which they did some managed to swim to ashore. The Maoris waited many a day for that Yankee Captain but he never came back to the Port.

This is all a long way back and what I can remember hearing from the old people and not for publication in the daily papers and I wouldn’t like to give offence to anybody. I am sorry be so long in the writing.

It is all hearsay, I have forgotten so much. My brother George could have written a great history on it, he took such an interest in it. He died 6 years ago.

Grandfather (Driver ? & Harwood others I’ve forgotten) were very handy for the letters when they came in 1848. They supplied them with cattle pigs & fowls vegetables milk and meat. The surveyors who surveyed Dunedin and the Peninsula before the Settlement Grandfather supplied

A man called Christie a chemist came from Sydney in the very early days, suffering from Asthma and lived with his Maori wife near a creek alongside the road at Lower Portobello leading to Papanui Inlet named the district Portobello, from the place where he came from near Edinburgh. He went back to Sydney as the change did not do him any good leaving his Maori wife behind him.

If these little bits are any use I might send more if it comes back to my memory

I am sorry at the delay in writing but the history is so far back and I have forgotten such a lot, it takes some thinking to bring it back to memory. My father and Uncle are both dead for over twenty five years; both my brothers are gone five and six years ago and have had no one since to talk over these past memories. So that I felt their loss when I came to put it down in writing, it seemed a hopeless task at first then one thing and another came up and if I been accustomed to writing I might have given it to you in better form.

The dates beat me but I think you will be able to get somewhere near by the incidents recorded.

Trusting the little I have done may be some help to you if I can bring myself to start again one of two little incidents may be put down again. I hope the history will be a success

Yours faithfully

James Geary

James Geary wrote this in 1922. He was 55 at the time. I have judged this date from his lettersaying"brother George died 6 years earlier".