The H Parker I'm talking about was the same Captain Henry Parker who went to the Chathams in 1833. He died in California in 1850 having taken the brig 'Noble' there to the gold rush. There was a scandal when he left passengers in Norfolk Island, all documented in Papers Past. (Captain) Edward is his brother. These two were very much involved with the early founders of Auckland Brown and Campbell. Edward had a native wife, Mary, and at least one half caste son, Johnny (both listed in his will). We believe that our great great grandfather , James Frederick Parker b1825, may also have been his son.
The Parker and Paaka descendants in the Hokianga ascribe to be descended from H Parker.
There was also another brother William who I think came to New Zealand later (1840ish), and maybe a sister Ellen Allport.
If you know of anything further we'd be most interested.
Here's hoping Brenda
went to Chathams 1833 DNZB p 348.
took part in revenge attack on Te Pahi for Boyd massacre JL
visited Wellington 1833 RHYR3
1834 visited NZ as a passenger on the Emma Kemp and traded. RHYR3
CHAPTER XXIX Captain Henry H. Parker at Port Nicholson in 1833
George Young said he had been employed by 'Mr Parker of Sydney who was one of the partners in the firm of Mclaren and company of that place'. Parker visited Port Nicholson in 1833, and may have been trading there as early as 1831.
The 39-ton schooner, Speculator, under Captain Henry H. Parker, Sydney for New Zealand on 17 November 1830 and was reported at Kapiti in January 1831.151 She arrived at Sydney on 5 March 1831 with 13 tons of flax, and made two further voyages to New Zealand at year, returning on 15 August and 12 September with 'flax' and '10 tons of flax'. Thereafter Parker alternated coastal trips to Hobart with "*sits to New Zealand from which he returned on 28 April 1832 with
opotatoes' and on 8 September 1832, again with 'potatoes ' .152
He made a longer cruise, 'a speculatory trip', from April 1833 to 4 March 1834, returning with 'sundries, sealskins and two passengers, New Zealanders' . 153 In September 1833, while in Port Nicholson, some Maori had boarded the Speculator, killed a Maori found on board and took the remainder away as prisoners. At some stage of the voyage, some Maori had seized a boat from the Speculator but after a little altercation, they surrendered it.154
A short account by Captain H. H. Parker, 'the master of a merchant op in 1833', mentions a visit to the Chatham Islands and that 'on the return of my vessel to Port Nicholson, some New Zealanders with me gave such a picture that the principal chiefs [later] made a bargain
151 McNab 1913 p.13. Interestingly Parker had previously commanded the Waterloo from 1827 to 1829, well before Guard, though apparently only in the Australian coastal trade.
152 Nicholson 1977 p.70. See also Sydney Herald 15 August and 12 September 1831.
Port Jackson Harbourmaster 's Daily reports. (ATL. Mirco-MS-0246-2.) Nicholson notes that Speculator had sunk at her moorings in April and she did so again in October 1834. Sydney Gazette 21 April 1834 and Sydney Monitor 15 October 1834. 154 McNab 1913 p.61, p.70. Henry (Captain) Parker was a Captain of whaler Diana in 1810.
6 He was a Captain of the Phoenix in 1815.
6 He was a Captain of Speculator in 1830.
4 He was a merchant Sydney, partner in McLAREN and Coy and Captain of Speculator in 1833.
4