John Israel Montefiore (1807 – 14 February 1898), also known as John Julius Montefiore, was one of the first Jewish settlers in New Zealand. He became a trader and merchant in the

Far North District The Far North District is the northernmost Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority district of New Zealand, consisting of the northern part of the Northland Peninsula in the North Island. It stretches from North Cape (New ...

of the country, and was later active in business and civic affairs in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. He was born in London, England in 1807. The Australian merchant and financier

Joseph Barrow Montefiore Joseph Barrow Montefiore (24 June 1803 – 8 September 1893), merchant and financier, was the youngest son of Eliezer Montefiore, merchant, of Barbados and London, and his wife, Judith (née Barrow). Montefiore was born on 24 June 1803 in Londo ...

was his cousin. Montefiore left London and arrived in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1829. He left Sydney in October 1831, travelling to

Tauranga Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...

, New Zealand. By 1836, he had established himself as a merchant in Kororareka (present day Russell) in the Far North District. Later that year, he returned to Sydney. In March 1840, one month after the signing of the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...

, he returned to Kororareka and again opened a store. In March 1841, he went to Auckland and traded land, settling permanently there soon after and establishing a merchant store. He was a foundation member and supporter of the fledgling Jewish congregation, and with David Nathan secured a grant of land in 1843 on the corner of

Karangahape Road Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) is one of the main streets in the Auckland CBD, central business district (CBD) of Auckland, New Zealand. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area – and subsequent flig ...

and Symonds Street for a Jewish section of the

Symonds Street Cemetery Symonds Street Cemetery is a historic cemetery and park in central Auckland, New Zealand. It is in 5.8 hectares of deciduous forest on the western slope of Grafton Gully, by the corner of Symonds Street and Karangahape Road, and is crossed by t ...

, Auckland. He became a shareholder in an Auckland newspaper, and in 1846 was one of the founders of the Auckland Savings Bank. Around 1850, he travelled back to London, but in 1855 returned to Auckland under the persuasion of

John Logan Campbell Sir John Logan Campbell (3 November 1817 – 22 June 1912) was a Scottish-born New Zealand public figure. He was described by his contemporaries as "the father of Auckland". Early life John Logan Campbell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on ...

and managed some of Campbell's business interests, also becoming involved in civic affairs in Auckland. John Israel Montefiore eventually returned via Sydney to London, and died in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

on 14 February 1898.

References

1807 births 1898 deaths New Zealand Jews New Zealand traders English emigrants to New Zealand English Sephardi Jews Merchants from London 19th-century English businesspeople {{NewZealand-bio-stub

See also

References