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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Mr. Henry Mahon Jervis

Mr. Henry Mahon Jervis, Old Colonist, was born at Strood, Kent, England, in 1820, and came out to New Zealand at the inauguration of agricultural settlement in the Colony, with other young men of good family. He took part in the founding of Wellington, New Plymouth, Wanganui, and Nelson, and was through all the trying period of the last savageries of the notorious Tamenana Te Rau-paraha and his fighting chief, Rangihaeata Finally, Mr. Jervis decided to settle in Auckland, where, at the time, a few settlers were carrying on an unscrupulous fight against the Government by means of a newspaper, their aim being to secure large pieces of country from the natives, for a few articles of trade.

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Owing to land ownership amongst the Maoris being tribal, it was practically impossible for those schemers to succeed, but they vented the spleen born of frustrated greed, in various methods of interference with Governor Hobson, until his death in 1842. Mr. Jervis entered commercial life and became a partner in the firm of D. Nathan and Co., and was several years actively engaged in promoting that business, which included an agency for the various troop and passenger ships, which visited Auckland throughout the war. After retiring from the firm, Mr. Jervis became agent for the intercolonial steamers engaged in the commercial, mail, and troop services of New Zealand. He also became the New Zealand manager of the Panama Company, whose service connected the Colony with England, until the tidal wave of disaster that befel the Royal Mail Company on the other side of Panama broke up the joint project. As the representative at Auckland of Hall's Californian line of steamers, Mr. Jervis conducted the faithful performances of those ships, always to contract time, until the Government gave Webb's old effete side-wheelers an enormous subsidy, £65,000 per annum, although the boats thus subsidised soon proved to be unfit for the traffic. As agent for the Australian and New Zealand Company's mail and commercial steamers, Mr. Jervis was instrumental in promoting trade between Fiji, Melbourne, and the southern ports of New Zealand. During all those years of important enterprise, Mr. Jervis and his principals upheld the high principles of commercial honour, in spite of threats of reductions, evasions, and attempts to repudiate by both the Colonial and Imperial Governments. The ruinous practice of those times in the spheres of mining, banking, commerce, and politics, are being historically treated by Mr. Jervis, with a view to their publication for the instruction and admonition of the present generation. Mr. Jervis is now residing at Brighton, Parnell, and enjoying a well-earned rest.

Hanna, photo.Mr. H. M. Jervis.

Hanna, photo.Mr. H. M. Jervis.