George Clarke (27 January 1798 – 29 July 1875) was a New Zealand missionary, teacher, public servant, politician and judge. He was born in Wymondham, Norfolk, England on 27 January 1798. He joined the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Clarke married Martha Elizabeth Blomfield (born 11 December 1802 in Wymondham). the second daughter of Ezekiel Blomfield, a Congregational minister. Clarke, his wife Martha and family (including their son

George Clarke George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736. Life The son of Sir William Clark ...

Jr..) sailed from Sydney on ''La Coquille'', arriving in the Bay of Islands on 4 April 1824. George was trained as a blacksmith and was appointed to the CMS mission in

Kerikeri Kerikeri () is the largest town in Northland, New Zealand. It is a tourist destination north of Auckland and north of the northern region's largest city, Whangarei. It is sometimes called the Cradle of the Nation, as it was the site of th ...

. Then he worked at Te Waimate mission, teaching the Māori students. From 1831 to 1839, Clarke and Richard Davis managed the farm at Waimate North at which Maori students learnt farming skills. He was appointed as secretary of the CMS in New Zealand. His son Edward Blomfield Clarke was the first child baptised in St. John the Baptist Church at Te Waimate Mission (10 July 1831). Edward Blomfield Clarke later took holy orders and was appointed to St. John the Baptist Church (1863-1884) and was also appointed the

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

of Te Waimate (1870-1901). In 1840, Clarke was made

Chief Protector The role of Protector of Aborigines was first established in South Australia in 1836. The role became established in other parts of Australia pursuant to a recommendation contained in the ''Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Abori ...

of the Māori by the recently appointed lieutenant-governor, Captain Hobson. The seat of government was transferred to Auckland, and there Clarke bought a large block of land from the Māori for the government. Governor George Grey abolished the protectorate in 1846. Clarke returned to Waimate North and became a farmer and resumed his work as secretary of the CMS in New Zealand. However controversy in relation to land purchases by CMS missionaries resulted in Clarke being dismissed from the CMS in 1849. Clarke was elected to the Auckland Provincial Council at the

1853 New Zealand provincial elections The 1853 New Zealand provincial elections were the first elections in New Zealand to elect members and superintendents to the newly created Provinces of New Zealand. The elections were held between July and September 1853, at the same time as th ...

and served from 1853 to 1855. He was appointed a judge of the Native Land Court in 1865. He died at Waimate North on 29 July 1875.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, George 1798 births 1875 deaths New Zealand educators English Anglican missionaries Anglican missionaries in New Zealand Flagstaff War District Court of New Zealand judges New Zealand public servants English emigrants to New Zealand Colony of New Zealand judges Māori Land Court judges 19th-century New Zealand politicians