Fred O'Donnell was a whaler from Prince Edward Island and appears to be the Frederick O'Donnell at Kororareka (Russell, Bay of Islands) in August 1840 petitioning to be released from gaol under bail. He also appears in the Early Settler Roll of Kororareka. In June 1848 he was appointed as a a Private in the 'Wellington Armed Police'. They were based at Waikanae under Major David Stark Durie until they were moved to Whanganui in 1851. He first officially appears in the Rangitikei district in the New Zealand Gazette of 16 July 1853.
On the 22 August 1859 he was married in Rangitikei to Rangiwhakairi (Rangi) Rehua (Ngati Raukawa) by the Rev. Richard Taylor. By then, they had four children, who are said to have been born at Mangamahoe on the Rangitikei River.
In the 1863 Return of Persons Occupying Native Lands Frederick O'Donnell, carpenter of Rangitikei was holding 100 acres at Matahiwi, on the south bank of the Rangitikei River mouth - 'The Land was the property of the occupier's wife in her own right, and the Ngatiraukawa joined in securing it to her and her children. Mr O'Donnell alleges that he entered into possession with the sanction of Mr Searanke and Major Durie R.M.' It had been a free gift and he had been in occupation for five years.
As a seaman, he was a handy builder and was known to have built the accommodation house for Thomas Scott at the Ferry in 1858, employing James Bull and Richard (Dick) Howard to help. It is presumed that he also built the Wheriko (Jericho) Anglican Church at Parewanui. Originally named Christ Church, it was dedicated in December 1862 by Rev. Richard Taylor. Threatened during the 1897 flood, the church was moved to its present location. In 1863, Frederick O'Donnell and Adam Keir were in court when O'Donnell, the builder, charged Keir with wilfully and unlawfully breaking into the Presbyterian church in the Lower Rangitikei. O'Donnell had refused to open the Church for divine service until certain clauses were met - presumably being paid. Notice of opening services had been advertised, and on the day appointed the lock was found to have been removed and the church opened. The case was dismissed.
In March 1867, Frederick O'Donnell was appointed as a collector for the No. 2 Lower Rangitikei school district, and in June 1868, gave 10 shillings to the subscription list for the erection of a Roman Catholic Church at Turakina, as did many of the protestant settlers.
By 1870, Frederick had moved from the Lower Rangitikei and was thought to have returned to Canada. However, he had moved with his wife and family to Ketemarae, near Normanby in South Taranaki, and was one of the first settlers in the area. He bought Block 11 of 81 acres, and Block 17, which is now the township of Normanby and helped with the building of a general goods store in for C E Gibson in 1872 on a corner of his land. In 1874, Fred sold his land to Frank Hingston Brett, ex Armed Constabulary who had married Fred's eldest daughter. In 1875 Brett opened the accommodation house known as Brett's or Ketemarae Hotel.
In 1876, the Wanganui Chronicle of the 27 May reported that by the Manawatu last night, Mr F O'Donnell, of Ketemarae, formerly of Bulls, took passage for Wellington, to catch the mail steamer for San Francisco. Mr O'Donnell hopes to be at Philadelphia in time for the great formal opening of the Centennial Exhibition, which is to be on the 4th of July, the anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of America, an event dear to all Yanks. This second gathering will probably assume a more international and truly American character than the first opening on the 10th of May, as there will be a variety of special demonstrations in honour of the event, which will present many features of interest to the traveller from the antipodes, if we may so apply the term as showing the relative positions of America and New Zealand ... Mr O'Donnell purposes being absent over a twelve month period." Before he left for America, he opened a bank account at the Bank of New South Wales in Bulls on the 08 February 1876, one of the first to do so. While away, his eldest son Frederick, died of consumption at Rangitikei aged 19 years.
The Wanganui Herald of the 9 April 1877 noted that "As the many friends of Mr Fred O'Donnell have felt some anxiety about that gentleman's safety, he having left Rangitikei and Patea for his native home in Prince Edward's Island, after an absence of 36 years spent in New Zealand, and having not since been heard of, we are glad to be able to state that some members of his numerous family have received letters from him, and that he was on the eve again of leaving his children's home, bringing with him several Canadian relations and friends, who have determined to follow this pioneer settler's fortunes. Mr O'Donnell may be expected by the next mail."
In July 1877 he advertised he had lost a 'dark bay horse supposed to have gone Wanganui way, branded 2 on near shoulder, shod all round. Anyone giving information leading to the recovery of it will be suitably rewarded. F. O'DONNELL, Matahiwi, Rangitikei. 4 July 1877. There is a death entry for F O'Donnell at Otaki in 1880. Presumably this is for Frederick though in the Electoral Rolls of 1881, 1882, 1887 and 1893 a Frederick O'Donnell is listed as a residential settler at Kakaramea [sic], South Taranaki with Hawera Block 17 but does not appear on the 1882 Freeholders of New Zealand. CHCL. Frederick O'Donnell immigrated to to Russell in 1840.
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