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Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z.

Biographical

Biographical.

Riparata Kahutia (born in 1839) was a daughter of Kahutia, a chief of T'Aitanga-a-Mahaki, and of Uwara, of T'Aitanga-a-Hauiti. She became a notable advocate in the Native Land Court. When she died on 10 June, 1887, it was computed that she owned twice as much land as had been awarded to her by birthright. She was regarded as a liberal landlady. Lady Carroll was a daughter.

Captain George Thomas Clayton was on the Dublin Packet when she landed Hempleman, the whaler, at Peraki (Banks Peninsula) early in 1837. He went on to Queen Charlotte Sound, where he established a whaling station. In 1839 he whaled for a while at Waikokopu; had charge of the Jess, which was in the Sydney-New Zealand run, for some months; and then took up land near Muriwai (P.B.). He assisted the Rev. H. Williams to obtain the signatures of thirty-four Port Nicholson (Wellington) chiefs to the Treaty of Waitangi in April, 1841.

William Adair (born in County Down in 1838) migrated to Victoria in 1860; was on the Otago goldfields in 1863; and then went into business at Addison's Flat, on the West Coast (S.I.). In 1866 he became a traveller for McArthur, Shera and Co., of Auckland, and in 1875 bought Captain Read's merchandising business, with stock-in-trade advertised as being worth £12,000. He had the Rosina built to trade along the East Coast. When J. Townley bought and removed the old courthouse, he erected on the vacant site two-storey brick premises for the Farmers' Co-operative Association and moved into them when that concern failed. In 1897 he sold out to T. J. and C. Adair. The business was taken over by Adair Bros. Ltd. (a public company) in 1908. Mr. Adair died at Auckland on 26 August, 1909.

Thomas Adams (born in County Antrim in 1833) migrated to Victoria in 1863. Two years later he went into business as an ironmonger at Westport. In 1870 he took charge of Captain Read's grocery and hardware departments. He opened the first stationer's shop in Gisborne in 1874. His death occurred on 20 February, 1905.

Capt. Thomas Bloomfield (born in Suffolk) was, for some years, engaged in whaling off the coasts of New Zealand. In 1859, whilst in London, he married Miss Sarah Steggall, who came out with him to Tasmania, where the ship was sold. Settling at Matawhero, he built the finest home in the district. He died early in 1868.