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Isaac Featherston

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The Honourable
Isaac Earl Featherston
NZC
Portrait photo of a man around 60 years of age
I.E. Featherston, 1873
7th Colonial Secretary
In office
12 July 1861 – 2 August 1861
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Wanganui and Rangitikei
In office
24 May 1854 – 9 August 1855
1st Superintendent of Wellington Province
In office
2 July 1853 – 23 April 1858
In office
28 June 1858 – 14 March 1870
Personal details
Born21 March 1813
Died19 June 1876(1876-06-19) (aged 63)
Spouse
Bethia Campbell Scott
​
​
(m. 1839; died 1864)​
Relationssee Legacy

Isaac Earl Featherston NZC (21 March 1813 – 19 June 1876), popularly known as the Little Doctor,[1] was a New Zealand politician, known for his advocacy for the establishment of New Zealand self-government, and the importance of the provincial governments.

Biography

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Early life and family

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Featherston was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland on 21 March 1813, to Thomas Featherston and Jane (Earl) Featherston. Although he spent a significant amount of time playing sports, specifically football, as a youngster he was also quite academic and qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1836.[2] On 10 December 1839, he married Bethia Campbell Scott (1816–1864), a daughter of Andrew Scott, of Edinburgh.[3]

After working as a physician in Italy and across Europe, he emigrated to New Zealand due to problems with tuberculosis, leaving in December 1840 in hope of a cure in more suitable climate.[4] He arrived in Wellington in May 1841 on the New Zealand Company ship Olympus as surgeon-superintendent.[2]

Political career

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1853–1855 1st Wanganui and Rangitikei Independent
1855–1858 2nd Town of Wellington Independent
1858–1860 2nd Town of Wellington Independent
1860–1866 3rd City of Wellington Independent
1866–1870 4th City of Wellington Independent

In 1845, Featherston became the first editor of the Wellington Independent.[4] He served in the first, second, third, and fourth Parliaments. He represented the Wanganui and Rangitikei electorate in the first parliament until he resigned on 9 August 1855, and then represented the City of Wellington electorate in the second, third and fourth parliaments. In 1858, he resigned his seat in Parliament[5] and his Wellington superintendency, apparently wanting to return to England. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election in both positions within months.[2]

Featherston was Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern Minister of Internal Affairs) in 1861, and a Minister without Portfolio from 1869 to 1871, having been appointed in both instances by William Fox.

Featherston was also heavily involved in the politics of Wellington Province. He was elected unopposed as the first Superintendent from 1853.[2] He resigned from this post on 23 April 1858.[6] He was re-elected on 28 June 1858[6] and held the post until 1870.[2] His superintendence oversaw some slow growth in Wellington before in 1865 it became the capital of the colony.[7] From 1871 he was the first Agent-General for the colony in London, the precursor to the High Commissioner.[8]

The Taranaki Wars

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When war broke out in 1860, Featherston criticised the Government's handling of events, and lent his influence to tribal peacemaking and keeping much of Wellington Province out of the conflict. During the Second Taranaki War (1863-1866), Featherston raised auxiliaries of Māori, but they refused to fight unless he himself led them. Despite suffering from tuberculosis and at times being unable to sit on his horse, he indeed led them and accompanied Major General Trevor Chute on his west coast campaign and march to Mount Egmont. He led a Māori contingent in several engagements, notably at Otapawa, and later alongside Gustavus von Tempsky.[2]

This saga gave rise to the Featherston legend: he was described leading his men into battle "in his dressing gown, with a cigar in his mouth, having no weapon whatever with which to defend himself".[2] He was subsequently awarded the New Zealand Cross for bravery.[2]

Wakefield–Featherston duel

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A duel on 24 March 1847 was fought in Wellington between Colonel William Wakefield and Featherston over a newspaper editorial of Featherston on the New Zealand Company land policy which questioned Wakefield's honesty. Featherston fired and missed. Then Wakefield fired into the air, saying he would not shoot a man with seven daughters.[9]

Legacy

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In his many escapades Featherston had acquired great mana.[10] He also left a political legacy in his eight daughters. They included: Laetitia, who married James Menzies; Kate, who married John Cargill; Frances, who married William FitzGerald (son of James FitzGerald); Alice, who married Sir Charles Johnston; and Octavia, who married Alfred Newman.[11][12]

He was described as a complex and resolute figure, awed by his peers; yet also quiet with a soft, well-spoken voice, very genial and fond of a joke.[1][2]

The town of Featherston in the Wairarapa is named after him, as is Featherston Street in Wellington.[2]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isaac Featherston.
  1. ^ a b Burge, Jason (22 January 2015). "The Little Doctor Was Not (Initially) Impressed". Museums Wellington. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hamer, David (22 June 2007). "Featherston, Isaac Earl 1813–1876". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  3. ^ Mennell 1892.
  4. ^ a b "Isaac Featherston | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. ^ "HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES". Otago Witness. No. 340. 5 June 1858. p. 5. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  6. ^ a b Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 234.
  7. ^ Hamer, David (1990). "Wellington on the Urban Frontier". In Hamer, David; Nicholls, Roberta (eds.). The Making of Wellington 1800-1914. Wellington, New Zealand: Victoria University Press. pp. 247–248. ISBN 0-86473-200-7.
  8. ^ McLintock, A. H., ed. (11 August 2009) [originally published in 1966]. "Featherston, Dr Isaac Earl". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  9. ^ McLintock, A. H., ed. (23 April 2009) [originally published in 1966]. "Duell". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Featherston, Isaac Earl". Te Ara.
  11. ^ "Marriages". Colonist. Vol. XII, no. 1254. 1 October 1869. p. 5. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  12. ^ "News of the Week". Otago Witness. No. 928. 11 September 1869. p. 13. Retrieved 14 November 2015.

Citations

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Political offices
New office Superintendent of Wellington Province
1853–1858
1858–1870 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonial Secretary
1861 		Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
New constituency Member of Parliament for Wanganui and Rangitikei
1853–1855 		Constituency abolished
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wellington
1855–1870
Served alongside: Charles Clifford, William Waring Taylor, William Fitzherbert, William Barnard Rhodes and Charles Borlase 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
New title Agent-General of New Zealand in the United Kingdom
1871–1876 		Succeeded by
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