Te Rauparaha - Capture and Eventual Death

Capture and Eventual Death

Then in May 1846 fighting broke out in the Hutt Valley between the settlers and Te Rauparaha's nephew, Te Rangihaeata. Despite his declared neutrality, Te Rauparaha was arrested after the British captured secret letters from Te Rauparaha which showed he was playing a double game. He was charged with supplying weapons to Maori who were in open insurrection. He was captured near a tribal village Taupo Pa in what would later be called Plimmerton, by troops acting for the Governor, George Grey, and held without trial under martial law before being exiled to Auckland where he was held in the ship Calliope. His son Tamhana, was studying Christianity in Auckland and Te Rauparaha gave him a solemn message that their iwi should not take utu against the gonvernment. Tamihana returned to his rohe to stop a planed uprising. Tamihana sold the Wairau land to the government for 3,000 pounds. Grey spoke to Te Rauaparaha and persuaded him to give up all outstanding claims to land in the Wairau valley. Then, realising he was old and sick he allowed Te Rauparaha to return to his people at Otaki in 1848.

While in Otaki Te Rauparaha instigated the building of Rangiātea church for his local pā. It would later became the oldest Māori church in the country and was known for its unique mix of Māori and English church design. Te Rauparaha did not live to see the church completed and he died the following year on 27 November 1849.

Te Rauparaha's son Tamihana was strongly influenced by missionary teaching especially Octavious Hadfield. He went to England in 1850 and after this was one of the Maori to create the idea of a Maori king. However he broke away from the king movement and later became a harsh critic when the movement became involved with the Taranaki based anti-government fighter Wiremu Kingi.