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Past and Present, and Men of the Times.

Mr. Geo. Douglas Hamilton

Mr. Geo. Douglas Hamilton, born in 1835, in Belgium, of British parentage, spent the first nine or ten years of his life on the Continent. Intended for the army, he was educated by private tutors, among whom was Captain de Chastelan, instructor in fortification and military drawing, and who had been one of the first Napoleon's body guard. This, with a term at the Edinburgh University, finished educational matters. Connected by blood and marriage with the best families, the origin of the family is identical with that of Abercorn, and is, therefore, to that extent of Royal origin. We are indebted to Burke and Scottish history for the following: "James Lord Hamilton married in 1474 the Princess Mary, sister of James 111. of Scotland. In 1543, his successor, James Hamilton, was unanimously chosen Regent of Scotland, and declared by Parliament heir presumptive to the Crown. Captain Hamilton is a direct descendant of John Hamilton (brother of the Regent), Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, who married the Lady Grizel Semple, daughter of Robert, 3rd Lord Semple, and had five sons and one daughter. The eldest James Hamilton had a charter of the lands of Coates in Lanarkshire in 1550, and this was still the property of Captain Hamilton's grandfather." In 1857 Captain Hamilton came to Wellington, and immediately took to station life, and after a short time devoted to gaining Colonial experience, took up the Mangatora station in Hawke's Bay. This was then unknown country and quite roadless. This property, which consisted of heavy fern, scrub, and bush he developed from a productive capacity of ten bales of wool, worth about £120, to over 800 bales, and a gross produce of £13,000, with a net income of nearly £9000, and made one of the finest properties in the Colony. The early times were very rough and the isolation complete. Being without almost any other society, naturally a fair knowledge of the Maori language and bush life was acquired. When the Maori war began the place was looked upon by the Maoris as a natural stronghold, and any attempt to improve the existing tracks forbidden. The Native Minister, page 252
Mr. >J. F. Orr.

Mr. >J. F. Orr.

page 253Sir Donald McLean, aware of the possible danger of a sudden attack on the settled districts of Hawke's Bay, asked Captain Hamilton to endeavour to watch, and, if possible, to inform him of any hostile movement. On this errand, he had once to ride two hundred miles inside of twenty-four hours, a good deal over bush hills and with only four horses. Later, when a Maori attack on Napier was planned, Sir Donald McLean asked him to accompany a party of cavalry in a night expedition to seize the canoes intended for the use of one of the attacking parties of Maoris. The Maori guard was surprised and taken prisoners in time for Captain Hamilton to be present at the engagement between the Colonial forces and rebel Maoris at Omaranui; then when the Maoris broke, after suffering heavy loss, he saw three stealing away, and overtook them in about a mile or two, when the close discharge of six shots gave a gunshot wound and almost blinded him for a moment. A sharp word or two in Maori explained the six-shot revolver alternative, and single-handed, they, with their arms, were marched into the force. Later, when Te Kooti and his band escaped and returned from the Chathams, Captain Hamilton was, with an appointment as captain and Inspector of Native Contingent, asked to undertake the duty of scouting single-handed the Uriwera country from the Waikato and Lake Taupo to Napier. There had been massacres at Poverty Bay and other places, of Europeans and friendly Natives, and the country was deserted by Europeans and friendly Maoris from Waikato to Napier, attacks being expected hourly. This duty was undertaken as secretly as possible, but at the outset Captain Hamilton met a body of some three or four hundred friendly Maoris from near Napier, who were armed and paid by the Government, and had been sent to reconnoitre, but were turning back; he endeavoured to induce them to go on, but they refused, saying that they were outnumbered by Te Kooti's men, and in such country would be cut to pieces. So the captain had to go his way alone. At this time there was a European force of 100 men at Fort Galatea; but it was considered too risky to march this force across even the open part of this country in the face of an enemy so numerically superior. The Government at this time offered a reward of a thousand pounds for Te Kooti—dead or alive. The Arawa tribe, armed and paid by the Government, were also in a fortified pah, at the junction of the Waikato with Lake Taupo, and declined to risk leaving their fortification. Some idea may be formed from this of the nature of the duties, the months of privation and exposure, constantly crossing alone over a hundred miles in the heart of the enemies' country. Captain Hamilton has been all his life a keen sportsman, with rod and gun, and president of numerous racing, farming, and other clubs. Is a popular man, having been elected president of some of these, unopposed, for fifteen years. Has not mixed much in politics. Has been often asked to come forward for Parliament; but for twenty years has devoted his attention to lowering the rate of interest, and to getting settlers the use of money at low rates of interest, an object now happily attained. Captain Hamilton married in 1873, Gertrude, elder daughter of the Rev. Conway Hughes, some time chaplain to the Duke of Manchester, more lately at Corfu, and has three sons and three daughters.
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