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

Biographical

Biographical.

Andrew Reeves (born at Moffatt, Dumfriesshire, in 1832) reached Wellington in 1857, bought a horse, and rode to Hatuma (Hawke's Bay), where he entered the employment of, and became manager for, Purvis Russell. In 1863 he took up a property near Wairoa. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves went to Tolaga Bay in December, 1865, and were the first white couple to settle there permanently. For many years Mr. Reeves held, under lease, blocks aggregating 6,000 acres. He had great difficulty in securing a perfect title to Wharekaka, but his rights were fully established by the Validation Court. Over a lengthy period he was the only Justice of the Peace at Tolaga Bay. He held a seat on Cook County Council for several terms. His death occurred on 5 November, 1903.

For her invaluable services in the early days in cases of sickness, Mrs. Margaret (Granny) Lockwood, of Tolaga Bay, is still held in kindly remembrance by many families on the East Coast. She attended cases from Pakarae to Waipiro Bay. Her ability, especially in the role of midwife, was widely acknowledged. She was a daughter of Robert Espie and Ani Umutopua, and was born at Mawhai in 1839. Her first husband was Abraham Moore, of Auckland. After his death she married his partner, William Lockwood (born at Rhode Island, U.S.A.), and, in 1875, they moved to Tolaga Bay. She died on 15 December, 1932, leaving over 100 descendants.

Captain William Henry Glover—to the Maoris, Karawa—was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Prior to settling at Tolaga Bay in 1855 he kept a store at Waipare. He was the district's pioneer sheepfarmer (1864), and its first publican (1866). A daughter, Lucy, married Edward Robson, who had interests in the Delta block, and held a seat on Cook County Council for several years. Henry Glover (born 1857, died 1942) was a noted boatman. Captain Glover died on 24 November, 1881.

Edward Murphy (born at St. Kilda, Victoria, in 1845) obtained a page 406 lease of Paremata (Tolaga Bay) in 1873. He moved, with his family, back to Australia in 1882, but, in 1884, returned and took up Panikau, which was then in its virgin state. In 1891 he also became one of the original lessees of Tauwhareparae. Whilst he resided at Tolaga Bay he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. He made his home at Manutuke in 1884. For some years he served on Cook County Council. Among his benefactions was the Bethany (Edward Murphy Memorial) Hospital at Gisborne, which was opened on 14 December, 1920. He died at Auckland on 27 June, 1919.

Henry Williams (born in Wales in 1845) migrated with his parents to Australia in 1853. He came over to Wellington in 1865, and was apprenticed to the tannery business. In 1875 he moved to Poverty Bay, where he engaged in storekeeping and butchering. Four years later he went on to Tolaga Bay and took up a property about seven miles up the river. With a partner (J. Morris) he opened a general store and butchery at Tolaga Bay. In the early 1880's he acquired Taumatarata, which was then in solid bush. He added Waiomoko to this holding, and named the whole property Waiomoko. Mr. Williams moved to Gisborne in 1912. He was in his 90th year when he died on 26 October, 1934.

Edward Brabazon Boland began his public service in 1907, when he was elected to represent Tolaga Bay riding on Cook County Council. He was the first chairman of Uawa County Council, and also of Tolaga Bay Harbour Board.

Michael Mullooly—known to one and all as “Micky”—was the most interesting resident of Tolaga Bay in his day. Born in Ireland in 1836, he tried his luck on the Ballarat goldfields and at Gabriel's Gully. He served in the East Coast War, and was one of the guard at the Chatham Islands when Te Kooti and his band escaped. In 1873 he opened the Sea View Hotel at Tolaga Bay, providing his guests with warm beds and square meals, without any frills. One morning a guest complained that his boots had not been cleaned, although he had left them outside his bedroom door. “Micky” could hardly believe that any sane person would have taken such a grave risk of losing his footgear. “You are very lucky,” he told him, “that you found them there in the morning!” What he had in mind was, of course, that some of his native patrons were noted for their light-fingered habits. He has been described as “a little man who revelled in litigation, but was apt to grasp at the shadow and lose the substance.” His guests could always depend upon being regaled with his version of his latest tussle in the law courts. He died on 13 June, 1912.