Te Morenga

A Bay of Islands Ngapuhi and perhaps, Te Rarawa chief and rival to Hongi Hika. He lived at Tai-a-mai, near Waimate North. He visited Marsden in New South Wales before 1814. In January 1815 he went on the Active with Samuel Marsden to prospect the east coast as far as Thames, and drew his own moko while on board. In 1818 he successfully led large forces against other Maori (Arawa) in the Bay of Plenty. In 1820 Marsden stationed missionary James Shepherd with Te Morenga at Tai-a-mai, and in the same year, Te Morenga travelled with Marsden as far south as Tauranga (aboard the ship Coromandel) and west to Kaipara (Source: DNZB, Vol I, 1990, passim). Source: https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22362736

of a chief named Themoranga, as drawn by himself with a pen—an instrument which he handled on that occasion for the first PAGE 13time in his life. It is dated 9th March, 1815, and was done on board the Active.

Te Morenga was the principal chief of the Urikapana hapu of the Ngapuhi tribe and had his pa at Tai-a-mai, which lay inland from Kerikeri. Very little is known of his life in pre-missionary times except that he was approaching the zenith of his power when Marsden arrived and ranked him with Hongi Hika and Pomare-nui among the Ngapuhi chiefs. Full biography: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/te-morenga

Moko: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/RobMoko-fig-RobMoko012a.html

Notes: where does Hare Nepia Te Morenga (1780-1875) fit into this family?Buried Ahipara. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC18740709.2.8