William Charles Cotton journal 1841-1848

fonds

1841-1848

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Drawings, Manuscript Cartographic Materials

943013

11 volumes of textual material - watercolour, pencil, pen and ink sketches, portraits, maps and plans - 23.5 cm.

The Reverend William Cotton, missionary and apiarist, was domestic chaplain to Bishop Selwyn, first Church of England Bishop of New Zealand. Cotton sailed from England with Bishop Selwyn and was with him when he established his headquarters at Waimate on the Bay of Islands and there founded St John's College which he later transferred to Auckland. Cotton was headmaster of the Collegiate Schools, and Greek lecturer. He introduced bee keeping to the North Island, set up the first printing press at the Waimate Mission station and the journals include the first specimens of many items printed

Volumes 1, 3-12 fully bound in brown leather with metal clasps.

The journals which are profusely illustrated were in some cases written up from his rough notes, and as each volume was finished it was sent to his sisters in England.

The illustrations are by his fellow missionaries, principally William Bambridge and Thomas Biddulph Hutton. Portraits of Cotton himself, Europeans and Maoris connected with the mission occur throughout the journals.

The autograph letters are mainly from Henry Williams at Paihia. There are several from Selwyn and a copy of Henry (H?) Hill’s letter to Selwyn 28 June 1843 describing the affair at Wairau, Cloudy Bay.

The customs of the Maoris and individual Maoris such as John Heke are described through the journals.

Cotton was on his way to England when his ‘Manual for New Zealand Bee Keepers’ was published in Wellington N.Z. in 1848. In the journals (Vol.4, p.129; Vol.5, p.16; Vol.7, pp.9-16; and Vol.8, p.166) are references to the importation of bees from Mrs. Macarthur of New South Wales, the whereabouts of imported queen bees in New Zealand etc.

Contents list: William Charles Cotton journal, 1841-1848
22 pages compiled in Dixson Library

Volume 01
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Voyage, in the Barque Tomatin ... Plymouth to Sydney, 26 December 1841-14 April 1842

Volume 03
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at Waimate, 21 August 1842-25 February 1843 (with abstract of Volume 02)

Volume 04
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at St John’s College, The Waimate, 26 February-22 July 1843

Volume 05
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a residence at St. John’s College, The Waimate, ... and An overland Journey to Wanganui, 22 July-26 November 1843

Volume 06
William Charles Cotton : Diary of a Journey from Whanganui to Wellington, Nelson, Taranaki, Auckland, and the Waimate, 27 November 1843-1 March 1844

Volume 07
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at St. John’s College, The Waimate, 2 March 1844-25 August 1844

Volume 08
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at St John’s College, The Waimate, 25 August-15 November 1844 ... & of the Transplantation of St John’s College; and of a Residence at St John’s College, Bishop’s Auckland …, 21 November-24 December 1844

Volume 09
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at St John’s College Bishop’s Auckland, 25 December 1844-8 August 1845 and An overland Journey to Taranaki …, 6-23 August 1845

Volume 10
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a residence in New Zealand, 23 August 1845-5 June 1846

Volume 11
William Charles Cotton : Journal of a Residence at St John’s College, 6 June-20 November 1846; A Voyage to Wellington; A Residence in the Otaki District; and A Journey to Auckland, via Whanganui and Taranaki, ending 23 March 1847

Volume 12
William Charles Cotton : Journal, 8 December 1847-18 May 1848

Maori, English

Transcriptions of the journals are attached to the individual records

Lists of items printed in Maori and English, illustrations and other insertions, compiled in the library are filed at DLMS.34n

Transferred from DLSPENCER 33
The Library does not hold Volume 2, April-August 1842. An abstract of Volume 2 is included with Volume 3