John (Benjamin) GORDON Otaki

[MaJiCS]

Hi all,

First time user of RootsChat.  Been trying to do some background research on family history supported by other members of my family.  John Gordon & Rena/Rina Te Akau of Ōtaki are my Great Great Great Grandparents. 

I too like Matt would love to know more about who they were as they are the mysterious pieces of the family jigsaw puzzle.  The meeting and potentially marriage of these ancestors is our bicultural story which I'd love to unravel for future generations.

I am in Rotorua this weekend 5&6th June (with not a lot of spare time) but could go and explore any avenues if that would be useful?  Perhaps the library, perhaps grave sites?  I've been out to Kearoa Marae (Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara) on a couple of occasions, however are aware the Urupa where Rena/Rina is possibly buried is at another site...and unlikely to have a headstone.

I have been out to the Family History Centre in Temple View Hamilton to check through the Cole Collection which lists groups of Māori families however doesn't have any dates attached.  There were 2 instances of Te Akau, 1 was easy to find in the catalogues, the other was missing from it's location in the sequential order. 

From the Cole Collection Volume 9, Pg 20 Pa-raki, md Hine-hau(f), Ch: Te Akau, Te Karoro, Papa-huri-tikea, To-rea.  Not sure if there's any connection here?

Keen to piece all of this together and hopefully create a story of John & Rena/Rina for our kids and future generations.

[SignalHill]

Working 1895 as Benjamin.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18950806.2.9?items_per_page=10&page=7&phrase=2&query=Benjamin+Gordon+&snippet=true

I think this Benjamin is the same as

1945/16839   Gordon    Benjamin    68Y   [born ~ 1877]

probably a son or grandson but I have not found a birth for him or managed to fit him into my family tree.

I have on John Benjamin's Death Printout (1897) a son aged 24 ie born 1873 which could  be him

Signal

[SignalHill]

Hi.
As we also had a John GORDON in the Waikato, in that era, I decided to have a PapersPast look. If you have time to sort through the hits for the various John GORDON'S on the go, this link should take you to the first Otaki mention that I could find.Alan.

Thanks Alan
I have also unsorted snippets of John Gordons -  from memory Auckland Waikato Wellington Dunedin and Invercargill
Which are your Keepers in case I turn the sods on one of their graves?

A family member has reminded me that multiple search engines are better than one which I keep veering away from to my favourite

Signal

[mattwilson76]

I know that Te Oti Kotene- George Gordon wrote from Otaki to the govt in c1904 (I have letter) and asked to sell land at Horohoro he was unsuccessful as they didn't want to buy that particular piece, but the Govt wrote back and said he and his brothers would be the successors to Kipihana's land- Kipihana was a Chief at Ngati Tuara. Kipihana te Keho/Whuia is brother to TeAkau (Te Rauparaha's 5th and foremost wife). Kipihana had no children. 
Rena TeAkau was Georges Mother, married to John Benjamin Gordon she was likely born c1850 and TeAkau c1800 so it is possibility that TeAkau is her grandmother. So who is Rena's mother/father?                                                                                                                                     

George also appears in another court document in Otaki where he is given some of Kipihana's land with a Riria Hohipuha b1862. Who is Riria Hohipuha? They show in the document via geneolgy diagram that they are both descended from TeAkau. Because TeAkau  is sister to Kipihana and he has no children they are awarded it. This is the actual TeAkau that was married to Te Rauparaha.

Riria states in another Govt Document about land by Otaki River that her parents are Te Irikau and TeAkau Kipihana. Was she a step sister to George (b 1876) ? Was she a sister to Rena (possible b  c1850)? did Rena have the same parents. The diagram is very simplistic and doesn't show Rena just goes from George and Riria straight to TeAkau. Yet in an Otaki newspaper Riria's death announcement states her father was R. Hakaraia. Did Rena have Riria before she met John-unlikely possibly 12-15 year age difference. Did the original TeAkau have another child after TeRauparaha's death in 1849- very unlikely as she would have been too old.  Ive been trying to answer these questions for a while. Was Rena a daughter of one of TeAkau's children -I think most likely but who?

George( Te Oti Kotene)  had 2 brothers -Thomas and Ben. Ben- Pene Kotene and George-Te Oti Kotene still have land listed at Horohoro from Maori land online. One of Thomas's sons farmed at Horohoro--Albert John Gordon.
Lots of questions here.
There is also lots of Rina TeAkau documents in Otaki Maori land court docs. Is this our Rena ?
Ive got so much unanswered questions

[mattwilson76]

John Gordon was in Hamilton as his so Thomas married Elizabeth Egan

[mattwilson76]

I know through Otaki Court Documents that  through Family ties  with Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa that Ngati Tuara went to Otaki to support Te Rauparaha- wife TeAkau. They were great canoe builders and built the canoes Te Rauparaha used in campaigns to the South Island. They lived along the Otaki River and up into the hills in the Wairapara block (not the Masterton side Waiarapa)  and other blocks. The Ngati Tuara travelled regularly between Rotorua and Otaki.

[SignalHill]

Here is a diversion for you while I try an pick my way through those facts and theories

Where are George's wife Georgina's roots ?

Although she signs Georgina Done on her marriage certificate the registrar's cross and ? pencil note give the clue that her birthname was spelt Dun(n)(e).

This combined with her age and her representation that  her father was a Judge (more or less true) and came from Australia (not substantiated )with her Aunt a Mrs Giddens/Gittens has lead to a reasonably certain conclusion that she was actually born in Wellington. 

Her father appears to be one James Dunn a businessman and Justice of the Peace  partner in the firm of Bethune and Hunter.

James Dunn did not have a very good record with his women partners.
He married   Sarah Ann McMENAMIN (various spellings) in 1871
He was separated on grounds of cruelty and Sarah divorced him trial dated 24 Oct 1874
He produced a child with Mary C. GLEESON / DUNN / PRITCHARD (Georgina) born on 17 Apr 1875

James DUNN is well reported in papers past (thanks 

Mary GLEESON / DUNN / PRITCHARD is much harder to track down

Signal

[SignalHill]

...   "Mr John GORDON the founder of the firm, has resided in Otaki for over 40 years" ...
And it goes on to say ... he arrived in Auckland by the "Cashmere" in 1852 where he stayed for 2 years before coming to the district  ... [district being Otaki]
We now know that the "Cashmere" voyage (through misfortune) didn't arrive in NZ until May 1853.
By my reckoning, (and I'm lousy with maths), if this Cyclopedia reference was published in 1897,

 >  1897 less say, 40 years =  1857
 >  less about 2 years spent in Auckland = 1855
 >  less another year ('cos he'd been in Otaki over 40 years) = 1854
     ...  overall, dates not too far removed from his "supposed" arrival in mid-1853.   

          ~  Lu

That summary is useful as it re-directs my attention to the time between Auckland and Otaki

I now wonder if these two items from Papers Past are our John
Daily Southern Cross 17 May 1861 Page 1
Royal Cavalry Volunteers. IN pursuance of a requisition handed to me by twelve members of the Corps, I hereby give notice that a Special General Meeting of the Members will be held on MONDAY, the 3rd day of June, immediately after Field Exti cue, to take into consideration the financial position of the Corps ; and also, the re-consideration of the Rules with a view to their amendment. JOHN GORDON, Hon. Sec. Otahuhu, May 16th, 1861.

Daily Southern Cross 31 January 1862 Page 3
THERE being no properly constituted means now X' of convening a meeting in consequence of the Very sudden dissolution of the corps l hereby give notice to all those interested in the matter, that I have been advised that no legal steps can be taken now to recover the money from the late Treasurer, still retained by him contrary to the publicly expressed wish of the corps. JOHN GORDON, Late Hon. Sec. Otahuhu, Jan. 28, 1862.

The timing does not exactly match but it might connect with the Family Tradition that John was a soldier in the Scottish constabulary.
Does anyone have information gathered on the Royal Cavalry Volunteers in NZ ?

Signal

[SignalHill]

I am in Rotorua this weekend 5&6th June (with not a lot of spare time) but could go and explore any avenues if that would be useful?  Perhaps the library, perhaps grave sites?  I've been out to Kearoa Marae (Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara) on a couple of occasions, however are aware the Urupa where Rena/Rina is possibly buried is at another site...and unlikely to have a headstone.
From the Cole Collection Volume 9, Pg 20 Pa-raki, md Hine-hau(f), Ch: Te Akau, Te Karoro, Papa-huri-tikea, To-rea.  Not sure if there's any connection here?
Keen to piece all of this together and hopefully create a story of John & Rena/Rina for our kids and future generations.

Hi   MaJiCS

Welcome to Rootschat
The obvious line of enqiry in Rotorua is Maori Land Court documents which may be easier to find you way around in at source rather than internet.
There is also the Rotorua Council and Cemetery Records
There may be limited weekend access though the Library will be open.
So enjoy the hospitality of your cuzzie-bros and let us know if you find any bones amongst the geysers.

Signal