Ross; Southland Times, 15 Sep 1897, 12 Nov
1912; Weekly Press,22 Sep 1897.
DE QUINCEY, PAUL FREDERICK (1828-94), son of Thomas de Quincey, English writer, was born at Grasmere, Westmoreland, and educated at High School, Edinburgh, and at Lasswade School. In 1845 he gained his ensigncy in Regiment, which he served in India (1846-60), being present at Sobraon and battles as captain and major of brigade. He was on permanent staff of Bengal presidency, but rejoined his regi- ment for New Zealand (arriving here in May 1861). He commanded 1st company of Transport Corps.
regiment was about to return to India de Quincey sold out and commenced farming. On outbreak of Waikato war he was appointed to command left wing of 3rd battalion artillery, which he served pay. He was aftenvards military secretary to Maj-general Galloway (command- ing the colonial forces) with the rank of major, being promoted later lieut-colonel. This ap- pointment he held also under Haultain. After war he lived in this country and repre- sented Pensioner Settlements in Parliament (1866-67), and in Provincial Council (1865- 69). In 1889 he was appointed sergeant-at-arms of House of Representatives. He was a justice of peace and a visiting justice at Auckland asylum. De Quincey died on 15 Apr 1894.
202
DERROM
Parltry Record;
J.
Hogg, De Quincey and His Friends, 1895; NZ. Herald, 20Apr 1894. Portrait: Parliament House.DERROM, JAMES (1818-98) was born at Corfu while his father was serving with the army of occupation in the board of ordnance. In 1824 he went to England. He was educated at a private school at Plymouth and the Grammar School at Glasgow and eventually at Deal, where he studied military engineering.
His father having been appointed barrack- master at Auckland, Derrom came with him in the Tyne (1841) and entered into business as an architect and builder. He was clerk of works for the building of the district hospital and the Avondale asylum. In 1853 Derrom was selected, at a meeting of the operative and working classes held at the White Hart hotel, as a suitable candidate for the Provincial Coun- cil, and he was duly elected to represent the City of Auckland (1853-55). In 1860 Derrom raised the Victoria Company of the Auckland Volunteer Rifles, of which he was lieutenant (1860) and captain (1862). He aftenl'ards commanded the first rifle battalion. He was also captain of the first volunteer fire brigade. Derrom died on 26 Dec 1898.
N.Z. Herald, 28Dec 1898.
DE THIERRY, CHARLES PHILIP HIPPOLY. TUS (1793-1864) was born in England, the son of a French emigre. Teaching music as a pro- fession, and being engaged to teach the children of Archdeacon Rudge he fell in love with a daughter, with whom he eloped. Though their marriage was condoned they were unprovided for and it was decided that de Thierry should prepare himself for ordination, but he was un- able to qualify the satisfaction of the Bishop of Nonvich. Friends obtained for him an appointment to a Portuguese embassy and he attended the congress of Vienna, where he dis- tinguished himself as a amateur musician. De Thierry is said to have been for some time an officer in a British cavalry regiment.
Meeting at Cambridge the chiefs Hongi and he negotiated with them through Kendall (q.v.) for the purchase of an estate of 4,000 acres in New Zealand. He claimed that this land was purchased for him on 7 Aug 1822, copies of the deed being sent to England through the Church Missionary Society and to
DE THIERRY
the foreign offices of Britain and France. About 1834 de Thierry sailed for New South Wales his family, writing en route to apprise Busby, the British Resident, of his intention· to establish an independent sovereignty in New Zealand in his own person. In this document, dated from Tahiti, de Thierry described him- self as 'sovereign chief of New Zealand, King of Nukuheva,' and said that he was awaiting an armed ship from Panama to escort him to his domain. Alarmed at this intimation, Busby ad- vised the Maori and pakeha residents to take steps to assert their independence of France.
Governor Bourke refused to recognise his claims on 23 Oct 1837. De Thierry proceeded to New Zealand in the Nimrod with 93 re- tainers. On landing at Hokianga he announced to the assembled people of both races his in- tention to establish a proper form of govern- ment himself as sovereignifhe should be acceptable to them. It would be a productive government, with open ports, free trade and no taxation, and he anticipated earning £50,000 per annum from the government farm of 5,000 acres. He expended what money he had in building houses and the beginning of a carriage road to Bay of Islands. the money was exhausted the scheme collapsed and de Thierrv was glad to accept the compassionate offer Tamati Waka Nene and Taonui of 300 acres of land, on which he lived his family, making a livelihood from a sawpit. They after- wards removed to Auckland, where he made a living by teaching music, diversified by an un- successful visit to the goldfields of California. For years he prosecuted his claims against the govemment. He experimented in later years in the preparation of flax, and in 1857 at- tempted to float a flax company. De Thierrv died in Auckland on 8 Jul 1864. '
The significance of de Thierry in the history of New Zealand is due to the impetus his scheme gave to Busby, to the government of New South Wales and to the missionary body in New Zealand to organise British interests the country towards the declaration of sover- eignty. His scheme in itself was without im- portance.
Hist. Rec. Aust.;Polack; Martin; Joubert; Mars- den, L. and ]. and Lieuts; Sherrin and Wallace (p); Ramsden; Rusden; Thomson; Buller; Hocken; Taylor,Past and Present; Turner;
DEVENISH
ster; Busby's statement at bar of House of Repre- sentatives, 30 Jul 1869; NZ. Herald, 1 Feb 1890, 30Nov 1933; Taranaki News, 18Jan 1872.
DEVENISH, (1819-66) was born at Sydling, St Nicholas, Dorset, and came to New Zealand in the Timandra (1842) with his brother-in-law, Josiah Flight (q.v.). They farmed at Mangaoraka until they had to move by order of Governor FitzRoy, and then took up land at Mangorei. They brought some valu- able Southdown sheep from England and at a later date introduced stock from England and Australia. Devenish married (1855) Mary (1830-1917), daughter of Thomas Hirst (q.v.). He was member of the Provincial Council for Grey and Bell for a few months before his death, which took place on 13 Nov 1866.
Taranaki p.e. minutes and Gaz.; Taranaki Her- ald, 17Nov1866. Portrait: Taranaki Hist.CoIl.
DEVORE, ALBERT EDWARD TYRRELL (1843- 1916) was born at Devizes, Wiltshire, and edu- cated at Marlborough College: Arriving in Melbourne in 1859 he commenced the study of law. In 1862 he came to Dunedin, where after a few months on the diggings he entered the office of Howorth and Graham. In 1866 he was associated with W. L. Rees in Hokitika, where he was afterwards manager for Rees and Tyler. He was admitted to practise in 1871 and moved to Auckland a few years later. He entered into partnership with J. B. Russell and later was associated with T. Cooper (q.v.),
Devore was a of the City Council (1882-86) and mayor of Auckland (1886-89). During his term of office the public library and the art gallery were opened officially. He was for many years a member of the harbour board, chairman of the Ponsonby school committee and a trustee of the Auckland Savings Bank. In Otago he was a prominent freemason.
N.Z. Herald, 29Jan 1890 (p).
DEWE, JOHN (1818-80) was born at Alston Field vicarage, England, and was educated for the Church of England but not ordained. He was a stationer before coming to Otago with his wife and family in the Blundell (1848). He farmed his country section at Pelichet Bay and then at Tokomairiro. While there he repre- sented the district in the Provincial Council He was resident magistrate and
DICK
coroner at Tokomairiro (1863-70) and then took holy orders, being ordained by Bishop Nevill and appointed successively to the par- ishes of Roxburgh, Clyde (1872) and Glad- stone. He died on 6 Sep 1880,
Otago p.e. Proc.; Otago Daily Times, 23 Aug
1871, 10Mar 1873,8Oct 1880.
'
HENRY ROHAN (1849-1926) was born at Alloa, Scotland, educated at Alloa school, and came to New Zealand in 1863 with his parents.
While he was serving his articles to Bury and Mountfort, architects, Christchurch, he at- tended a mission conducted by Bishop Taylor, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and de- cided to dedicate his life to Christian service.
As a local preacher he showed evidence of ora- torical gifts which in later years gave him pre- eminence as a preacher. In 1864 he was ac- cepted as a candidate for the Methodist min- istry and studied under the Revs A. R. Fitchett and Alexander Reid. A reader wi th a retentive memory, he made himself familiar with the masters of English prose and verse. He enjoyed the reputation of being the most eloquent preacher in a strong preaching de- nomination. Dewsbury began his ministry at Hokitika (1871), and subsequently served as superintendent minister of circuits in Auck- land, Wellington, Christchurch, Wanganui, Oamaru and Cambridge.
In 1876 he married Elizabeth Boyd Parnell. In 1888 he visited England, where his broad views, catholic spirit and social aptitudes made him welcome in circles. He was for many years a military chaplain, and served his Church in secretarial positions and as chairman of several synods. In 1891 he was elected presi- dent. He was superannuated in 1911, and died on 8 J un 1926. M.A.R.P. DICK, THOMAS (1823-1900) was born at Edinburgh. A few years later his parents removed to London, but as soon as he was old enough Dick returned to his native city, where he remained until the age of 15. He en- tered the office of John Roberts, merchant, of London. he had been 12 years with this firm he was sent to St Helena as agent for the Fenchurch street firm of James Morrison and Co. There he married (1850) Miss Darling.
205
DICK
Throughout life Dick revelled in religious movements and work amongst the poor. In London he worked earnestly in the slums, especially in connection with the ragged schools in Stepney and in Sunday school work. At St Helena, where he spent seven years, he joined the Baptist congregation and he remained a Baptist throughout, though for many years he was a pillar of the Presbyterian Church in Dun- edin. In the little island also he took a great interest in evangelical work and in the Sunday school movement, and in later years in Dun- edin he spent many a Sunday afternoon in company with Dr Stuart, distributing tracts amongst miners.
In 1857, with his wife and young children, Dick arrived in Dunedin by the ship Bosworth,
primarily as the agent for Morrisons. Before long he established himself as an auctioneer in Dunedin and when the goldfields opened the business expanded into a general agency. Al- though he arrived in Dunedin late in 1857 he was elected unopposed only a year later to a seat in the Provincial Council for Dunedin City. In 1859 he became a member of Rey- nolds's executive. At the general election in 1860 he was returned at the head of the poll for Dunedin, and he was in the executive for a few months that year. One of his acts in the Provincial Council was to secure a vote of £1,000 for the Athenaeum and Mech- anics' Institute. In Apr 1862 he moved a vote of no-confidence in the ad- ministration, and took office himself as pro- vincial secretary. At the general election in 1863 he was again at the head of the poll, but he· resigned his portfolio shortly after the meet- ing of the Council. He was again in the execu- tive in 1863-64 and in 1865. In Aug 1865 Har- ris resigned the superintendency and Dick stood against E. McGlashan, whom he defeated by 990 to 565. It was not altogether a happy experience. There was lack of harmony be- tween Superintendent and Council, and a good deal of friction between the central and pro- vincial authorities.
Meanwhile Dick also represented his fellow citizens in the General Assembly. Reluctant to enter Parliament, he had a habit of resigning his seat on the slightest indication of lack of confidence, but he was almost invariably re- elected. First elected for Dunedin at the end
DICK
of 1860, he resigned in 1862; was elected again and resigned in 1863. Elected for Port Chal- mers (Mar 1866) he took a strong stand in Parliament against the attempt to filch cer- tain license fees from the municipality of Dun- edin. When the members Otago returned from Wellington (Oct 1866) there was a strong feeling that they had not done what they might have done to protect the in- terests of the province. A public meeting in Dunedin called upon them to resign. Two of the fifteen did so-Dick and Reynolds. Dick was returned unopposed, but resigned a few months later. In the meantime his term as Superintendent had come to a close, and in Feb 1867 he was defeated by Macandrew by 2259 votes to 1392.
Retiring from Parliament in Jul, he re- mained out of political life for a few years. Mrs Dick having died in 1869, Dick married the widow of Frederick Walker (q.v.) who had been a fellow passenger in the BOSW01·th. In
1879he again went into Parliament (as a mem- ber for Dunedin City, with R. Oliver and Downie Stewart as colleagues). In Mar 1880 he joined the Hall ministry as Colonial Secre- tary, and later assumed also the portfolios of Education and Justice. At the general election (Dec 1881) he was elected for Dunedin West (defeating Downie Stewart by 459 to 451 votes). He continued to administer his old departments in the Whitaker ministry, taking in addition the Postmaster-generalship (1882). When Atkinson came into office (Sep 1883) he retained the services of Dick as Colonial Secre- tary and Minister of Education until the gen- eral election in 1884, when Dick was defeated by Stewart by 504 votes to 480. At the election of 1887 he was again defeated by Stewart (by 708 votes to 695).
There he chose to terminate his political life, declining a seat in the upper house, and con- fining his attention to local affairs. He was for some years a member of the Otago education board, and from 1860 of the waste land board. From 1858-60 he was on the Dunedin town board. He was secretary of the Dunedin Watenvorks Co. from its formation, and for many years was treasurer of the Dempsey Trust. When Dick came to Dunedin there was no Baptist congregation, so he became an active member of First Church and a teacher in the
DICKIE
Sunday school. He was a promoter of Knox Church, and a member of the board of trustees, but (not being a Presbyterian) de- clined to take office. In 1863 the Baptist Church in Hanover street was opened by the Rev J. L. Parsons as first pastor. Dick was a trustee. He began a Sunday school in the Planet sawmill, and was its superintendent until his death. He was one of the founders, and the secretary, of the Otago Bible Soci- ety (1864), and he was vice-president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani- mals when it was founded (1882). From 1860 he was on the visiting committee of the hospital.
Dick for some years lived a retired life owing to persistent ill-health. He died on 5 Feb 1900.
Otago P.C. Pmc.; Cycl. iv (p); Hocken; McIndoe; Cox,Men of Mark; Otago Daily
6 Feb1900, 23 May1930 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.
DICKIE, WILLIAM JAMES was
born at Cobden and educated on the Coast. For some time he was employed in Greymouth and thereafter in business with his father. Owing to ill-health he turned to farming and after some years' experience ·Westland bought a property near Rakaia. He farmed also at Methven. Dickie took a great interest in public affairs, being for many years a mem- ber of the Ashburton county council and hospital board and of the Ashburton and Methven A. and P. association. Defeating C. A. C. Hardy in 1911, he represented Selwyn in Parliament till 1919, when he was defeated by Sir William Nosworthy. Dickie died on 24 Jun 1921. He married a niece of James Pery- man (Greymouth).
Hansard,23 Sep 1921; Gl'ey River 25JUll
1921. Portrait: .Parliament House.
DICKSON, JAMES McCOLL (1854-1937) was born in Victoria and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1863. Mter finishing his education at public schools in Otago he com- menced sawmilling with his brothers at Catlins, but shortly relinquished this to farm at Porto- bello. Here he spent 40 years, having consider- able success in raising stock.
He was a member (and chairman 1904-16) of the Portobello road board; of the school committee (also chairman); and of the Otago
DIEFFENBACH
harbour board· 1911-35 (chairman 1915-16, 1926-27, 1927-28). In early manhood he was a keen cricketer and for many years he was a leading rifle shot, being president of the Pen- insula Rifle Association, captain of the Pen- insula Club and a member of the New Zealand rifle team at the Melbourne Exhibition. Dick- son contested a seat in Parliament in the Re- form interest in 1911, being defeated by E. H. Clark (q.v.); was elected in 1914 and repre- sented Chalmers continuously until his retire- ment in 1928. He was some time chairman of the public petitions committee (M to Z). Dick- son died on 16 Mar 1937.
Who's Who 1932; Evening 17 Mar
1937. Portrait: Parliament House.
DIDSBURY, GEORGE (1839-93) was born at Windsor, New South Wales, and came to Kororareka with his father, who held an official position. Leaving the Bay during Heke's war, they settled in Auckland, where Didsbury was educated and apprenticed to the New Zea-
lander office. There he was soon employed in the printing of official documents. In 1861 the
Southern Cross received the contract for print-
ing and Didsbury went over to that employ. When the Government Printing Office was established he was second in control and on the removal of the government to Wellington he became Government Printer (at the age of 26). He held that position until his death on 20 Apr 1893. Didsbury was a director of the Palmerston North Gas Co. and the Gear Meat Co. He was a vestryman and churchwarden of St Peter's, Wellington.
C)'cl. i (p); Evening 21 Apr 1893. DIEFFENBACH, ERNST (1811-55) was the son of a Lutheran clergyman and professor, and was born at Giessen in Germany. Educated there, he entered upon a medical course but became involved in students' political demonstrations