Maraea Te Kuri o te Wao Cassidy

Other research indicates that Maraea was born 29 June 1836 - Northland, New Zealand
Baptized - THERE ARE NOTES
Deceased about 9 January 1912 - Whaingenge, Hokianga, New Zealand, aged about 75 years old

Maraea was said to be the first Maori woman on the Catholic register and was baptised just prior to her marriage to Thomas Cassidy. She was 19 years old at the time.

We are told Maraea had a beautiful singing voice, her Maori name was Nga Kuri o te Wao (dogs of the forest) and she was the daughter of Moka and Hinewai.Thomas was married to Maraea Kuri in Sydney on 30 October 1835, the service was conducted, by Rev. John Bede Podling. In 1835/36, Thomas owned land along the Waima and Mangamuka rivers and supplied timber to Webster in the 1840's. This land was exchanged for script totaling 2053 pounds. In 1844 he owned land in Auckland, lots 9-13 a little over 110 acres, the land on which Glenmore Lodge later stood and he transferred the land to Auckland jailer George McElwain on 17 October 1846 for a mere 33 pounds.

It is possible that at some point Thomas and Maraea returned to Waima and the Hokianga because it is said to be there that Thomas was murdered by Maraea for his continual drinking and womanising, some say his wife and daughters buried him behind the fireplace. We have found no documentation to support the murder claim, however in the 1970s, we were told by the Maori Land Court Judge Nicholson, that our ancestor had murdered her husband. The Judge had that information from somewhere, possibly verbally during the collection of evidence for Maori land claims.