Edward Baigent : a pioneer Nelson settler, businessman, and politician : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University

Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for

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private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without

the permission of the Author.

EDWARD B A I .G E N T

A Pioneer Nelson Settler, Businessman, and Politician

A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey · University.

NEIL DOUGLAS NELSON 1981

· PREFACE

Edward Baigent arrived in New Zeal and almost 140 years ago, and except for a few months in Nelson, spent bis entire life in Wakefield. Unfortunately neither Edward Baigent nor any of his children seem to have kept diaries, or been prolific letter writers. The information this thesis is based upon, does thus come almost entirely from early newspaper articles, diaries of Baigent's contemporary settlers, and old l edgers and journals, dating back to 1870, ~hich were found by chance last year in the demolition of an old building on Baigents' Rutherford Street property.

The completion of this thesis would not. have been possible if not for the willing assistance I have had from a number of people.

Special thanks must go to Mr Jchn Bush, who began collecting information relating to the Baigent famili several years ago, with the intention of eventually writing a family/ company history. With characteristic unselfishness, Mr Bush passed on to me all the material he had accumulated, and I am

extremely grateful for the initial help he provided.

To Mrs M. Palmer, a great grand-daughter of Edward Baigent, I also extend my special thanks. Mrs Palmer has always taken a great deal of interest in the Baigent family, and wherever possible, has been of great assistance to me.

Nelson is fortunate that early events were faithfully recorded by newspaper reporters almost immediately settlement was

corrunented. The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle which began in 1842 and continued until 1874, provided much valuable information on the early years of settlement in the Nelson Province. An almost complete file of this paper is available at the Nelson Public Library, and to the staff of the Library I wish to record my thanks.

Nelson's other two newspapers, The Colonist, 1857-1920, and the Nelson Evening Mail,. 1866 to the present day, are stored at the Nelson Evening Mai l Offices, ~nd to the Lucas family, I extend my thanks for allowing me to spend many weeks going through these immaculately preserved papers.

II

Diaries and journals of early Nelson settlers also provided much valuable background for my thesis, and in this area, the

staff of the Nelson Museum have always provided friendly and extremely helpful information. Special thanks must go to Mrs N. Russell, who spent several ho~rs suggesting early diaries and journals which she felt would be of a~sistance, and ·always were. To Mr Steven Bagley, Director of the Museum, and Mr Maurice Watso~, for his excellent photographs, I am also very grateful.

:To my supervisor, Professor W.H. Oliver, I wish to record my sincere thanks. Professor Oliver's useful criticism and help- ful suggestions have proved of considerable assistance in the writing of my thesis.

For the typing of this thesis, all credit must go to Miss

Margaret Denby, and to her

i

extend my thanks for an excellent job.

After having written and re-written this thesis some six t imes, the task of proof-reading becomes very difficult, and to Mr John Harvey, I am indebted for the thorough job he did on

.the train journey to Auckland.

Finally, I wish to thank the company of H. Baigent & Sons Limited, particularly Mr Harry Baigent, for the assistance

they have given me in the writing of my thesis.

To all the above people, plus the many others with whom I have talked, I wish to record my sincere thanks.

N.D. NELSON

I I I

C O N T E N T S

Preface

List of Illustrations and Tables

Edward Baigent Brief Family Tree

Map of Nelson-Wakefield District

Survey Map of Properties owned by Edward Baigent during the 1870s.

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

From Windlesham to Nelson

The Early months in Nelson May 1842 - February 1843

Down to Business Wakefield 1843-1853

Involvement in Local Affairs

Provincial and National Politics

Business Years 1853-1890

Conclusion

Footnotes

Bibliography

Page

I I

V

VI

VII

VIII

3

9

17

33

45

56

71

76

90

I L L U S T R A T I O N S

Edward Baigent (1879)

Mary Anne Baigent (1868-1870)

Immigration Forms of Edward Baigent

Pitsawing - Taitapu Gold Estate (1890)

Early Tree Felling Methods

Log Hauling - Horse Team and Steam

Page 1

2

8

16

32

68

Sawmills in the Takaka Region (1890-1910) 69

Temporary Sawmill - Takaka (1890-1910) 70

T A B L E S

Table One Exports of Timber from Nelson

1844-1853 31

Table Two Exports of Sawn Timber from

the Port of Nelson 1843-1868 66

Table Three Prices of Sawn Timber in Nelson

1842-1862 67

(All photos gratefully acknowledged to the Nelson Provincial Museum)

V

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(24.11.1837 1.·7.1895)

Ed~ard Baigent Brief Family Tree

Thomas Baigent m. Dorothy Anne Coule

Diana j Edwardj (13.3.1811) (22.6.1813)

. Isaac : (23.4.1819)

m. Mary Ann Hern

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^{Joseph Henry}

(9.5.1840 (16.5.1842 (20.11.1844 10.3.1924) 20.6.1908) 31.8.1929)

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Sarah (18.7.1847

4.8.1911)

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^{Came out to New Zealand} Born in England

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(29.1.1829)

Thomas John Hannah Eliza (27.7.1849 (12.7.1851

19.5.1910) 25.8.1929)

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William Char:

(18.7.1857 16.12.1936)

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SURVEY MAP SHOWING PROPERTIES EDWARD BAIGENT O\'JNED DURING THE 1870s.

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