FRENCH PIONEER PASSES.

Shannon News, 7 January 1927, Page 3

FRENCH PIONEER PASSES.

MR C. J. M. de MALMANCHE. FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN CANTERBURY. SURVIVOR OP THE AKAROA SETTLEMENT. One of the original links with the early settlement of New Zealand has disappeared with the death of Mr Charles Joseph Maria de Malmanehe, who passed away at the residence of his daughter, Mrs R. Prime, at Hawera, on Sunday morning, at the age of 86 years. The funeral tcolc place this afternoon at Levin, and was largely attended, the deceased pioneer having lived here fo* some years with his son, Mr W. de Malmanche. The interment took place in the Levin Cemc tery, the burial service being conducted by the Rev. J. C. Davies. The late Mr de Malmanehe was the first white man born in the province of Canterbury and probably in the wholi of the South Island—and the event recalls the historic competition which took place between the British and the French nations for possession of the southern part of New Zealand. It will be remembered by those who are acquainted with the early history of the Dominion that a French company was established to form a colony in New Zealand, following upon the claim of L’Anglois, the master of a French whaler, to have purchased from the Maoris thirty thoi sand acres on Banks Peninsula. Consequently 63 settlers came out by the emigrant ship Comte de Paris in 1840, and among them were the .parents of Mr de Malmanehe., both of whom came from Rochfort, where the father had been a gardener. They reached Akaroa in August of that year, and. Mr de Malmanehe was born there on October 19th, in a tent erected on the beach, a few yards from where the Bank of New Zealand now stands. In recognition of the birth of the first tvhite child of colonising parents, Captain Lavaud, of the corvette “L’Aube,” had a tent specially erected, and the father planted an apple tree on the spot where the infant was born. As it turned out, the boy was destined to outlive the tree. Captain Lavaud wished tj stand as godfather, but found that he had been forestalled by M. de Beligny de St. Croix, agent of the colonising Nanto-Bordelaise Company. However, a compromise was effected, and the child was giver, the name of Charles (after Lavaud) and Joseph (after de Beligny). Ilis third name of Maria commemorated his baptism by Bishop Pompallier, who arrived in the missionary schooner “Maria” shortly afterwards. From the French national point of view the expedition to New Zealand was a failure, because possession of the colon} was established just in rime for Britain by Governor Hobson., Captain Lavaud, according to the account of the late Mr de Malmanehe, had to stand trial for treason, on his return to France, and the matter so preyed on the officer’s mind that he committed suicide. Unfortunate though it may have been in one sensb, the expedition urns a success in another, for the immigrants devoted themselves to the improving of the land and the establishing of a township, and thus became valuable colonists and set tiers.

Mr de Malmanche’s father became manager of the estates of M. de Beligny on the departure of that gentleman, but eventually the land was disposed of by the Resident Magistrate; and in lSls'all of Banks Peninsula came under the control of the New Zealand Land Company. The deceased followed the occupation of a gardener, and even in his old age he remained attached to this pursuit as a hobby. His father lived to the age of 93 years. For about nine years the deceased lived with his son in Levin, but last Easter he removed to his daughter’s placet Hawera. The change of climate was not to his advantage, however, and lie was ailing for several months prior to his death. His family numbered eleven, of whom eight survive; and ther, are 42 grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. The children living are, in their order of seniority: Mrs A. Mansfield (Christchurch), Mr H. de Maimanclie (Christchurch), Mrs R. Piime (Ilawcra), Mrs J. Bunny (Lyttelton), Mr W de Malmanche (Levin), Mrs I. Hensley (Levin), Mrs E. Sullivan (Christchurch), and Mr G. de Malmanche (Christchurch). The youngest son, Horace, was killed in action in France in August, 1918; the second youngest, Fred, died in Levin, as the result of influenza, in 1923; and a daughter. Mrs J. Porteous, died a few months ago. Mrs Webb, of The Terrace, Wellington, is a sister of the deceased, and there are two brothers living, Messrs Emaury and Ben de Malmanche. The latter, who came from Dannevirke to be present at the funeral, is 85 years of age. The late Mrs R. A. Loughnan. of Wellington, was also one of the family. The wife of the late Mr de Malmanche pass ed away in 1923, having failed to recover from the shock of losing her two youngest sons. She was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs W. Ward, of St. Asaph Street, Christchurch, with whom she arrived in New Zealand, at the age of seven years, in 1857, by the ship Oliver Lang, landing at Wellington.