Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

William Hulme (10 May 1788 – 21 August 1855) was an officer of the 96th Regiment of Foot,

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

Early years

William Browne Hulme was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 10 May 1788. He was educated at King's College, Windsor, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Career

Upon leaving college, Hulme received a commission as ensign in the newly raised

Nova Scotia Fencibles The Nova Scotia Fencibles were a military regiment raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1803. The unit had red uniforms with yellow facings. History The Nova Scotia Fencibles were the only regiment stationed in Newfoundland in 1812. Although p ...

on 23 September 1803.

West Indies

The first and second battalions of the 1st Regiment (Royal Scots) had been stationed in the West Indies since 1803. Hulme joined the regiment with the rank of lieutenant on 26 June 1805, but his service in North America soon came to an end on 17 December 1805. A substantially reduced second battalion returned to England in January 1806 to news of the revolt of two Sepoy battalions employed by the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separa ...

and of other troubles. The battalion was immediately ordered to India, reinforced to 1000 men with volunteers from the third and fourth battalions stationed at Bexhill.

New Zealand

Flagstaff War

William Hulme's military career was most notable for his part in the

Flagstaff War The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hō ...

, also known as the First Anglo-Māori War, which took place in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

between 1845 and 1846. As Brevet Lieutenant Colonel he commanded the colonial forces during the attack on Heke's pā at Puketutu (sometimes called Te Mawhe Pā) on the shores of

Lake Ōmāpere Lake Ōmāpere is the largest lake in the Northland Region of New Zealand. It is located to the North of Kaikohe. The lake sits within the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field. The lake was formed when an ancient lava flow blocked a valley, form ...

. In May 1845 Heke's pā was attacked by troops from the 58th, 96th and 99th Regiments with marines and a

Congreve rocket The Congreve rocket was a type of rocket artillery designed by British inventor Sir William Congreve in 1808. The design was based upon the rockets deployed by the Kingdom of Mysore against the East India Company during the Second, Third, ...

unit. The colonial forces arrived at Heke's pā at Puketutu on 7 May 1845. Lieutenant Colonel Hulme and his second in command Major Cyprian Bridge made an inspection of Heke's pā and found it to be quite formidable. Lacking any better plan they decided on a frontal assault the following day.

Te Ruki Kawiti Te Ruki Kawiti (1770s – 5 May 1854) was a prominent Māori rangatira (chief). He and Hōne Heke successfully fought the British in the Flagstaff War in 1845–46. Belich, James. ''The New Zealand Wars''. (Penguin Books, 1986) He traced desce ...

and his warriors attacked the colonial forces as they approached the pā, with Heke and his warriors firing from behind the defences of the pā. There followed a savage and confused battle. Eventually the discipline and cohesiveness of the British troops began to prevail and the Māori were driven back inside the pā. But they were by no means beaten, far from it, as without

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

the British had no way to overcome the defences of the pā. Hulme decided to disengage and retreat back to the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

. Hulme returned to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, and from the arrival of additional troops in June 1845, was superseded in command of the forces in New Zealand by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Despard, 99th Regiment, a soldier who did very little to inspire any confidence in his troops. File:Coatee (AM 1946.173-24).jpg, 96th Regt full dress coatee worn by Lt Col William Hulme.

Auckland Museum The Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira (or simply the Auckland Museum) is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history (and especially the history of the Auckla ...

File:Coatee (AM 1946.173-41).jpg, Cross belt and pouch worn by Lt Col William Hulme, 96th Regt.

File:WilliamsNorthStar1845.jpg, Hulme burns Otuihu whilst Pomare is held on board HMS ''North Star'', 30 April 1845.
Artist: John Williams, 58th Regt, 1845.

Alexander Turnbull Library The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

File:Storming of John Heki's pah, New Zealand, on the 8th. of May 1845.jpg, Hone Heke's pā, Puketutu, under attack by British forces, 8 May 1845
Artist: Copy after John Williams, 58th Regt, 1845.
State Library of New South Wales File:SHOUTING THEIR WAR-CRY, THE BRITISH CHARGED THE BREACH..gif, Shouting their war-cry, the British charged the breach.
Artist: J R Skelton, 1908

Later life

In 1846 he purchased a house in Parnell,

, which became and is still known as Hulme Court. While not open to the public, this is on the New Zealand Historic Places register and is one of the oldest documented houses in Auckland still standing.

Tasmania

Based in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land, with his troops, since arrival of the ship ''Java'' on 19 December 1846, Hulme advanced from Brevet Lieutenant Colonel to Lieutenant Colonel without purchase in 1848. He then retired from soldiering in 1849 and moved back to New Zealand.

New Zealand

Legislative Council

In July 1849, Governor

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...

, appointed Hulme to member of the General Legislative Council. That year, Hulme introduced the idea of a motion and ordinance in favour of enabling Maori land in the northern district of New Zealand to be used for cattle grazing by squatting. "Nothing, he thought, would tend so much to the general good and welfare of New Zealand as the opening up of its lands to the occupation of European settlers and squatters." In response: "The Governor said that the resolution as it now stood could not be entertained by the Council—but he thought that they might readily adopt a different one, which might answer the ends aimed at, and be less objectionable. As it stood he could not advise its adoption, for this reason that it involved a question that was one of universal interest for the whole of New Zealand, South as well as North; and although the General Legislative Council of the whole islands had power vested in it to adopt resolutions on this subject, yet as this Council did not represent the whole islands, it could not entertain a subject affecting the entire country."

Post Office

Hulme was appointed by Governor George Grey as the first

Postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

for the Province of Auckland from 1 January 1854 but received less support in the idea of an appointment to

Postmaster-General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a Ministry (government department), ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having ...

for New Zealand.

Death

William Hulme died on Tuesday, 21 August 1855, in his 68th year and was buried with military honours in

Symonds Street Cemetery Symonds Street Cemetery is a historic cemetery and park in central Auckland, New Zealand. It is in 5.8 hectares of deciduous forest on the western slope of Grafton Gully, by the corner of Symonds Street and Karangahape Road, and is crossed by th ...

on Friday, 24 August. ''The New-Zealander'' wrote:

The late Lieut. Col. Hulme was a fine specimen of a thorough English soldier; intrepid and cool on all occasions. In 1849 he sold out of the service, and returned to Auckland, where to the hour of his death, he was all along held in the highest estimation as an upright and honourable colonist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hulme, William 1788 births 1855 deaths Pre-Confederation Nova Scotia people University of King's College alumni Royal Scots officers Royal Fusiliers officers 96th Regiment of Foot officers British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Maratha War British military personnel of the New Zealand Wars Flagstaff War Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council (1841–1853) Burials at Symonds Street Cemetery