THE OLDEST BORN

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3515, 24 July 1926, Page 1

THE OLDEST BORN

PIONEER WHITE WOMAN. LINK WITH MARSDEN’S MISSION TO MAORIS. The (leatli at Springbank, Iverikeri, Bay of Islands, of Mrs Elizabeth Marsden Bedggood, in the ninetienth year of her age, has removed one whose whole life was spent in the North, with te exception of one visit to Auckland in the early days. She was the widow of Janies A. Bedggood, and the youngest .child of Mr. John King, one of the Rev. Samuel Marsden’s three lay missionaries. Mrs Bedggood had the distinction of being the oldest living white woman born in New Zealand, as she was born at Te Puna on May 4, 1837. The jnoneer party settled at Oihi, on the northern shores of the Bay of Islands, where the Rev. Samuel Marsden preached his first sermon to the Maoris on Christinas Day, 1814. From Te Puna she went to Kerikeri when 22 years of age to keep house for her brother, and there was married to Mr. Bedggood, who died ten years ago. There were no children. Her experience in the early days was full of thrills, as cannibal feasts often took place within sight of her home, and on one occasion three heads of victims were placed on the window sill of her father’s house. The family were, however, never molested on account of the friendliness of the icheif's, Hongi and Ruatara. The latter had taken a trip on a whaler to England, where he was turned loose without any wages. After undei going a lot of hardship lie got a passage back to Sydney in the convict ship Ann, on which the Rev. Samuel Marsden was chaplain. The latter was greatly attracted by the intelligence of Ruatara, and on arrival took the chief to live at his house. Ruatara never forgot the kindness, and repaid it amply by his protection of the missionaries in after years. It was the meeting with Ruatara that really directed the Rev. Samuel Marsden’s attention to the need of a mission to the Maoris.

Mrs Bedggood spent all her life at Springbank farm after her marriage. She enjoyed wonderful health right to the end.