Joseph Masters (1802 – 21 December 1873) was a New Zealand

cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

, community leader, farmer, politician, and writer. Born in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

, Derbyshire, England, he is the namesake of

Masterton Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...

, New Zealand. He had three daughters, including one named Mary-Ann.

Early life and career

Masters' father passed away when he was young, prompting him to work in a

silk mill A silk mill is a factory that makes silk for garments using a process called silk throwing. Traditionally, silk mills were concentrated in Japan, England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Italy and Switzerland. The silk throwing process Silk is a natur ...

, threading bobbins. He later lived with his uncle in

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, where he served an apprenticeship as a cooper. Eager to improve himself, Masters served as a Grenadier Guard, a policeman, and a jailer. In 1826, he married Sarah Bourton.

Migration to Australia and New Zealand

In 1832, Masters, his wife, and two daughters migrated to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. There, he initially worked as a cooper in the

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

industry and subsequently as a jailer at Oatlands. Masters continued seeking self-improvement and left for New Zealand via

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1841. He arrived in the Bay of Islands before relocating to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, where he initially started a ginger beer manufacturing business. However, by the mid-1840s, he returned to working as a cooper in Lambton Quay.

Small Farms Association and settlement in Wairarapa

Masters advocated for small farm settlements, proposing that groups of working men should pool their resources to purchase blocks of land from the government and subdivide them. Each member would own a small town section and a 40-acre farm. In March 1853, the Small Farms Association was established. Masters and C.R. Carter convinced Governor Grey to support their settlement in Wairarapa, contingent on securing land sales from local

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. Masters and H.H. Jackson met with Retimana Te Korou at Ngaumutawa pā. Te Korou agreed to the settlers' presence near his village after consulting with his family. His son-in-law, Ihaiah Whakamairu, accompanied the small farm proponents to Wellington to arrange the sale.

Masterton settlement

Masters did not join the first group of small farmers that arrived on 2 May 1854; he arrived shortly after. He vigorously pursued opportunities for himself and his family, successfully farming his lands and representing the area in the

Wellington Provincial Council Wellington Province, governed by the Wellington Provincial Council, was one of the provinces of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. It covered much of the southern half of the North Island until November 18 ...

. Masters was a staunch advocate of the Trust Lands Trust and had a significant influence on the Masterton community, which he guarded until his death in December 1873.

References

1802 births 1873 deaths New Zealand farmers New Zealand writers English emigrants to New Zealand 19th-century New Zealand politicians People from Derby {{NewZealand-writer-stub