Port Molyneux : the story of Maori and pakeha in South Otago : a centennial history : commemorating the landing of George Willsher and his companions at Willsher Bay, June 28, 1840 : with a programme for the unveiling of the centennial cairn, erected by the Clutha County Council, June 28, 1940
All Claims Disallowed
All Claims Disallowed.
Some particulars of all claims lodged are printed in a Parliamentary paper known as D—14, which is an appendix to the “Report of the Land Claims Commissioner.” This was presented to the House of Representatives on the 8th of July, 1862.
Of the thousands of claims made for areas alleged to have been purchased in the North and South Islands, those in the list below are the Molyneux claims.
The acreage in six claims, for which areas are given, total 1,360,482 acres. For five other claims no acreages are given.
Claim No. 267 is obviously the one that caused Willsher and Russell to sail with Thomas Jones in the “Portenia.” Probably the vessel cleared for Cloudy Bay to throw other claimants off the scent.
In this table is given, first, the claim number; second, name of claimant; third, the year purchase was made; then the amount paid, if available; and, last, how the claim was dealt with:—
No. 72.—Brown and Campbell. 1838 to 1840. Claim disallowed.
No. 255.—John Jones. Claimant sold half claim to C. Wentworth and two–twelfths to Brown and Campbell. 1838. Paid £200. Claim withdrawn.
No. 267.—Thomas Jones. 1839. Claimed 256,000 acres. Disallowed, claimant not appearing.
No. 276.—A. Lamont. 1840. Claimed 1281 acres. Disallowed.
No. 281.—James Liddle. 1840. Claimed 1281 acres. Disallowed. No claim preferred.
No. 296.—A. McIntyre. 1840. Claimed 1920 acres. Disallowed. No claim preferred.
No. 476.—F. W. Unwin. 1838. Claim disallowed.
page 17No. 482.—Edward Weller. 1839. Paid £82. Claimed 1,000,000 acres at Molyneux. In addition, claimed additional areas elsewhere in South Island of 881,360 acres. Disallowed. No claim preferred.
No. 488.—George Weller. 1839. Paid £91 13s. Claimed 100,000 acres at Molyneux. In addition, claimed additional areas of 845,360 in the South Island and 480,200 in the North Island. Disallowed, the claimant not appearing. In 1846 the claimant applied to have claim reopened, but refused. The claimant stated that he and Edward Weller had actually surveyed 63,600 acres at a cost of £800, and had sold 14,000 at 5s per acre to other persons.
No. 497.—W. C. Wentworth. 1839. Acreage claimed at Molyneux not stated. In addition, made 12 other claims in both islands. All these claims were disallowed, the claimant not appearing. There appears to have been a kind of partnership between Messrs. Wentworth, Jones, Leathart and others, of Sydney, in these claims.
No. 1350.—Edward Hunt. Paid £30. Not referred to any commissioner. No claim preferred.