Abt 1829 was in partnership with Archibald MOSMAN and Captain Alexander DAVIDSON in Sydney whaling. Had a whaling depot and ship repair yard.
1830 a Sydney merchant who spent seven months in Cloudy Bay whaling RHYR3
1832 went to Mana Island with sheep to provide supplies to whalers. First sheep farm in NZ.. MAWI
1832 Three Sydney merchants ? John Bell, Archibald Mossman, and Alexander Davidson, master of the whaling brig William Stoveld ? buy Mana Island from Ngati Toa. They send an American, George Ross, to take possession. In exchange for the island the chiefs are given one six-pound carronade, two swivel guns, two kegs of gunpowder and two chests. In the next two years, George Ross establishes a whaling station north of Te Te Rangihaeata?s island pa, ?kai-tangata? or, in English, ?eat man?.
John Bell has 103 merino sheep, 10 cattle, and 2 ?/2 ton of hay, seed, fruit trees and tobacco delivered to Mana Island, aboard the Martha. Farming begins on the island. The cattle are used to supply milk and beef to the whaling trade, which by this time has become a fairly large industry. Te Rauparaha sends a tohunga to make the stock and certain areas tapu. In return for placing this prohibition on land and stock, Bell assures the Maori of their ancient right to take fish and shellfish from the waters around the island. This also includes the taking of up to 300 mutton birds from their breeding grounds on the northern parts about the cliffs.https://manaisland.org.nz/mana-island-2/history/
1834 returned to Mana island from Sydney with wife and 9 year old orphan child Johny KNOCKS.
1838 John Bell dies suddenly. No planks can be found for a coffin, so an old friend from Dundee, (Scotch Jock) Nicol and Johnny Knocks bury him in a rum barrel on the island.FOMI. John Bell immigrated to Sydney to Mana Island, NZ, in 1832.
2 He was farming sheep on Mana Island in 1838.
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