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This month a quick look at two different missionaries from two different faiths, who made names for themselves in New Zealand history.
Marsden, Samuel Born in Yorkshire in 1765, he studied at Cambridge before being appointed assistant chaplain for New South Wales. He married shortly before leaving, and his daughter was born in Sydney. He was an industrious man, taking over a large block of land and farming it extensively. But he also won himself a reputation for harsh discipline against the convicts when he became a magistrate. Though he was extremely busy with all his various jobs, it was missionary work he felt was calling. He determined that the Maori needed to be evangelised. In 1807 Marsden went to London to ask the Church Missionary Society to fund a mission to New Zealand. When he succeeded he gathered together a band of lay settlers to accompany him, including a teacher, and a joiner. But because of delays and bureaucracy he did not sail for New Zealand until 1814. He even had to pay for his own ship. Though his mission started off well in the Bay of Islands, but the climate of violence in the area surrounding it disturbed him. Even the missionaries argued amongst themselves. For a good few years Marsden struggled on against a climate of increasing unrest. Tribes were trading for muskets with settlers all about, and back in New South Wales, Marsden had plenty of arguments with the governor who treated the whole mission thing as a bit of a joke. Marsden however responded by cracking down on those who were running guns, and in some cases committing adultery. In 1819 he bought a block of land in Kerikeri, and in 1823 opened a station at Paihia, which Reverend Henry Williams took over. During these times Marsden himself travelled over the countryside, seeing all its wildness. He also played the roles of peacemaker in a variety of occasions, and he preached in Maori, as he had learned the language. As he worked on into old age Maori and settler alike revered him. But in June 1837 he left New Zealand for the last time, for on 12th May 1838 he died at Paramata. Marsden was human, he did make mistakes, but he also changed the face of New Zealand. He was an occasional voice of restraint on the British authorities, and spoke against barbarity on both sides of the argument. He was stern, but this was tempered by generosity. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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