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Historical records matching Captain John Jermyn Symonds
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About Captain John Jermyn Symonds
Captain John Jermyn Symonds
Soldier, Native Land Court judge.
Symonds was born in 1816 as the youngest son of the family. His father was Sir William Symonds. On the recommendation of Lord Normanby, he joined the survey department in New South Wales in 1839. He moved on to Auckland, New Zealand in 1841 to join his elder brother William Cornwallis Symonds, but his brother drowned in a boating accident in November of that year. For a while, he was acting protector of aborigines, and was in charge of purchase of land from Māori, and the survey of that land. In 1844, he purchased the Otago block with Frederick Tuckett on behalf of the New Zealand Company.
In 1846, he became private secretary to Governor George Grey. In 1847, he was one of the founding members of the Auckland Savings Bank. He returned to England for some time, where he married in 1849. He came back to New Zealand in 1849 in charge of a detachment of the Fencibles, which he settled in Onehunga. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1853, was appointed Native Secretary in 1855, and became Onehunga's Resident Magistrate and returning officer in 1856.
Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1858–1860 2nd Pensioner Settlements Independent
He resigned from those roles when he was elected to represent the Pensioner Settlements electorate from 1858 to 1860, when he retired. In 1861, he was again appointed Resident Magistrate. He was a judge of the Native Land Court from 1862 to his retirement in 1882.
Symonds died suddenly on 3 January 1883. He was ill for only half an hour and in the beginning did not think it necessary to call for his son-in-law, who was a doctor. He was survived by his wife, four daughters, and one son. His wife (Alethia Seymour, née Wilson) died in November 1898.
Symonds Street in Onehunga is named after him. Symonds Street and Symonds Street Cemetery in Auckland are named after his brother.
Sources
Scholefield 1940, pp. 355f.
Scholefield 1940, pp. 356.
Reed 1955, p. 80.
Wilson 1985, p. 238.
"Sudden Death of Captain Symonds". Auckland Star XVII (3865). 4 January 1883. p. 3. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
"Obituary". The New Zealand Herald XX (6614). 29 January 1883. p. 3. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
"Obituary". The Evening Post LVI (128). 26 November 1898. p. 5. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
Roughan, John (25 August 2010). "Auckland: Gentleman settler". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
References
Mentioned in "A compendium of official documents relative to native affairs in the South Island", Volume One.
Part I , Part II
No. 1. — Mr. J. W. Hamilton to Mr. W. Wakefield, Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company Aureretanga: Groans of the Maoris
History of New Zealand. Vol. III.
Chapter XVIII. — 1874—1877. — Session of 1874
Important Judgments: Delivered in the Compensation Court and Native Land Court. 1866–1879.
1840 Apihai's Claim Maori and Missionary: Early Christian Missions in the South Island of New Zealand Chapter Nine — The New Edinburgh Scheme
Petition of Paora Tuhaere
The Exploration of New Zealand
Chapter IV — The Company and its Settlements
Other Collections
The following collections may have holdings relevant to "Captain John Jermyn Symonds":
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, which has entries for many prominent New Zealanders.
Archives New Zealand, which has collections of maps, plans and posters; immigration passenger lists; and probate records.
National Library of New Zealand, which has extensive collections of published material.
Auckland War Memorial Museum, which has extensive holdings on the Auckland region and New Zealand military history.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, which has strong holdings in Tāonga Māori, biological holotypes and New Zealand art.
nzhistory.net.nz, from the History Group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
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Captain John Jermyn Symonds's Timeline
| 1816 |
January 4, 1816
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| 1850 |
July 18, 1850
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Onehunga, Auckland
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| 1851 |
October 29, 1851
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Onehunga, Auckland
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| 1853 |
January 3, 1853
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onehunga, N Z
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| 1854 |
February 3, 1854
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onehunga, N Z
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| 1855 |
July 30, 1855
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onehunga, N Z
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| 1857 |
March 8, 1857
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onehunga, N Z
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| 1860 |
September 5, 1860
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onehunga, N Z
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| 1862 |
November 11, 1862
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onehunga, N Z
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