Tītore
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Tītore (circa 1775-1837) (sometimes known as Tītore Tākiri) was a Rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe). He was a war leader of the Ngāpuhi who lead the war expedition against the
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 ...
tribes at East Cape in 1820 and 1821. He also led the war expeditions to Tauranga and Maketu in 1832 and 1833, following the incident in the Bay of Islands that is known as the
Girls' War The Girls’ War is the name given to fighting on the beach at Russell, New Zealand, then known as Kororāreka in March, 1830 between the northern and southern hapū (subtribe) within the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe). The cause The Girls' War is so named ...
. He was the son of Hāpai and the grandson of Toko. He was the brother of Rapu. Tītore was the nephew of Tāreha, principal rangatira of the Ngāti Rēhia hapū (sub-tribe), of
Kerikeri Kerikeri () is the largest town in Northland, New Zealand. It is a tourist destination north of Auckland and north of the northern region's largest city, Whangarei. It is sometimes called the Cradle of the Nation, as it was the site of th ...
, and he was related to
Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...
and Hengi of Ngāti Rēhia. He married a sister of Hongi Hika. He lived at Waimate North; then after the Girls’ War he lived at Kororāreka in the Bay of Islands, as the peace settlement after the Girl's War resulted in his receiving Kororāreka as reparation for the death of his relation, Hengi.


Visit to England

In 1815 Tītore went to Port Jackson (Sydney, Australia), and spent 2 years with the Revd Samuel Marsden. In 1817 Tītore and Tui (also known as Tuhi or Tupaea (1797?-1824)) sailed to England in the
brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...
, ''Kangaroo''.NZETC: Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century, 1816
/ref> They visited Professor Samuel Lee at Cambridge University and assisted him in the preparation of a grammar and vocabulary of Māori which, following a visit to Lee by Hongi Hika and Waikato, was published in 1820 as ''First Grammar and Vocabulary of the New Zealand Language''.


Tītore’s and Te Wera’s southern expedition 1820-21

In April 1821, Tītore and the chief Te Wera from Okura, returned to the Bay of Islands after 16 months of fighting against the tribes on the East Coast of the
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
at
Tolaga Bay Tolaga Bay ( mi, Uawa) is both a bay and small town on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island located 45 kilometres northeast of Gisborne and 30 kilometres south of Tokomaru Bay. The region around the bay is rugged and remote, and for many ...
and Poverty Bay.Smith, S. Percy – Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century (Christchurch 1910) page 167
online
at NZETC


Tītore’s war expeditions in 1832 & 1833

In the peace settlement at the end of the Girls' War, Kororāreka (today known as Russell) was ceded to Tītore by
Pōmare II Pōmare II (c. 1782 – December 7, 1821) (fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II; historically misspelled as Tu Tunuiea'aite-a-tua), was the second king of Tahiti between 1782 and 182 ...
as compensation for Hengi's death, which was accepted by those engaged in the fighting. However, the duty of seeking revenge had passed to Mango and Kakaha, the sons of Hengi; they took the view that the death of their father should be acknowledged through a muru, or war expedition, against tribes to the south. It was within Māori traditions to conduct a muru against tribes who had no involvement in the events that caused the death of an important chief. Tītore did not commence the muru until January 1832. The Revd Henry Williams accompanied the first expedition, without necessarily believing that he could end the fighting, but with the intention of continuing to persuade the combatants as to the Christian message of peace and goodwill. The journal of Henry Williams provides an extensive account of this expedition, which can be described as an incident in the so-called Musket Wars. The Ngāpuhi warriors, who included
Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...
, were successful in battles on the
Mercury Islands The Mercury Islands are a group of seven islands off the northeast coast of New Zealand's North Island. They are located off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, and northeast of the town of Whitianga. History The Ngāti Karaua (a hapu of ...
and at Tauranga, with the muru continuing until late July 1832. In February 1833 Tītore consulted Tohitapu, a Tohunga, to foresee the success of a second war expedition;Smith, S. Percy – Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century (Christchurch 1910) page 450
online
at NZETC
then Tītore led a party of Te Rarawa, allies of the Ngāpuhi, back to Tauranga. Williams also accompanied the second expedition.


Exchanging gifts with William IV

Tītore was one of 13 northern rangatira who signed a letter to King William IV in 1831, seeking an alliance with the United Kingdom; with a request to the King to become "friend and guardian of these Islands" to protect them from the "tribe of Marion", which is how the Māori of the Bay of Islands referred to the French. The Māori of the Bay of Islands were concerned about the French presence in the South Pacific as a consequence of the massacre of Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne and 26 crewman, who were killed and cannibalized in the Bay of Islands in 1772. In 1834, F.W.R. Sadler of HMS ''Buffalo'' received gifts from Tītore for delivery to the King, which included two
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made of pounamu (which is a symbol of
chieftainship A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized as ...
). In 1835, the King sent him a suit of armour, now in the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...
.


Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand

On 28 October 1835, Tītore signed He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tirene (known in English as the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand), which proclaimed the sovereign independence of New Zealand. The Declaration arose in response to concerns over the lawlessness of British subjects in New Zealand, and in response to a fear that France would declare sovereignty over the islands. The document also arose from movements in Māori society. From 1816 onwards, a number of Northern Māori chiefs had made visits to New South Wales and
Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
, as well as to England, leading to discussions about unifying the tribes and the formation of a Māori government. Māori had become involved in trade with New South Wales and owned trading ships. In 1834, the chiefs had selected a flag for use on ships originating from New Zealand. In the process of signing, the chiefs established themselves as representing a confederation under the title of the " United Tribes of New Zealand". 261


War with Pōmare II

Starting in March 1837,
Pōmare II Pōmare II (c. 1782 – December 7, 1821) (fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II; historically misspelled as Tu Tunuiea'aite-a-tua), was the second king of Tahiti between 1782 and 182 ...
fought a three-month war with Tītore.
Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...
fought alongside Tītore. Tītore lead 800 warriors in 42 war canoes against Pōmare's
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites o ...
at Otuihu in the Bay of Islands, although the Pā had strong defences and the attacks in March and April were repulsed. An underlying cause of the fighting was a dispute as to the boundary line of the Kororāreka block that had been surrendered as a consequence of the death of Hengi some seven years previously in the Girls’ War. The war ended in June 1837 following the death of Tītore; however, it is not clear whether he died as the results of battle wounds or following an illness. Following Tītore's death, HMS ''Rattlesnake'' fired a formal salute in his honour.


Literature and sources

* (1874) - ''The life of Henry Williams, Archdeacon of Waimate'', Volume I. Auckland NZ.
Online available
from Early New Zealand Books (ENZB). * (1877) - ''The life of Henry Williams, Archdeacon of Waimate'', Volume II. Auckland NZ.
Online available
from Early New Zealand Books (ENZB). * (2011) - ''Te Wiremu - Henry Williams: Early Years in the North'', Huia Publishers, New Zealand * (2004) - ''Letters from the Bay of Islands'', Sutton Publishing Limited, United Kingdom; (Hardcover). Penguin Books, New Zealand, (Paperback) * (1973) - ''Te Wiremu: A Biography of Henry Williams'', Christchurch : Pegasus Press * (1961) - ''The Early Journals of Henry Williams 1826 to 1840''. Christchurch : Pegasus Press
online available
at
New Zealand Electronic Text Centre The New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC; mi, Te Pūhikotuhi o Aotearoa) is a freely accessible online archive of New Zealand and Pacific Islands texts and heritage materials that are held by the Victoria University of Wellington Library ...
(NZETC) (2011-06-27)
Smith, S. Percy (1910) – ''Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century''
online available at NZETC


References

{{reflist 1775 births 1837 deaths People from the Northland Region Musket Wars Māori language Ngāpuhi people