John Gare Butler (March 1781 – 18 June 1841) was the first ordained clergyman to reside in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
with the
Church Missionary Society (CMS). In 1818 he was ordained as a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
by the
Bishop of Gloucester
The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, England, Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.
The diocese covers the Gloucestershire, County of Gloucestershire and part ...
. Butler and the
Māori workers at the mission at
Kerikeri established a small mixed farm, which involved the first use in New Zealand of an agricultural plough, which was pulled by team of six bullocks. Butler arranged for the building of
Mission House in Kerikeri.
Church Missionary Society mission in New Zealand
In 1818 he was appointed by the CMS Committee in London to the position of superintendent of the CMS mission in the
Bay of Islands, New Zealand, while being subordinate to the Rev.
Samuel Marsden, the CMS's Agent in
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, Australia.
Disputes arose between Butler and Marsden, such as, when Marsden refusing to honour a payment draft for timber, purchased for the mission by Butler, and also when goods were retained in Sydney and not sent to the mission in the Bay of Islands.
In 1822 he wrote letters of complaint to Marsden and Revd. Josiah Pratt, the secretary of the CMS in London.
The disputes continued into 1823, by correspondence and during Marsden's visit to the Bay of Islands.
On 13 January 1824, Marsden suspended Butler from his position.
Return to England
On 10 July 1824 Butler, his wife and their daughter Hannah, sailed on the ''Midas'' for England.
The records of the CMS in London noted that Butler withdrew from the CMS on 16 February 1825.
His son, Samuel Butler, remained in New Zealand, engaging in the flax trade in
Hokianga
The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long Estuary, estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand.
The original name, still used by local Mā ...
, until his death by drowning in 1836.
In 1828 Butler published through G. R. Gittore, of Bridgenorth, an edition of Psalms and hymns, "Abridged, arranged and adapted to Public Worship, selected from the best authors."
From 1825 to 1839 he was appointed as the clergyman of various parishes in England, such as, in 1836 to the parish of
Haddenham, Isle of Ely.
Return to New Zealand
On the 20 April 1840 he arrived at Port Nicholson,
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
on a
New Zealand Land Company ship, the ''Bolton''. Butler was appointed to a parish at
Petone and he was a Māori welfare agent until he fell ill in March 1841;
and his death followed on 18 June 1841.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, John Gare
1781 births
1841 deaths
Anglican missionaries in New Zealand
English Anglican missionaries