SPELLING OF WHANGAREI
Sir-As one botfn in Whangarei (in 1874) I was interested in the remarks (Listener, March 22) of my old schoolmate A. H. Reed. With regard to the pronunciations there in 1887, which he quotes, I do not consider these can be taken as a guide to how the name should be spelt. Might I point out that Whangarei was first settled in 1839, and that long before 1887 the nate, both spelling and pronunciation, had been
thrashed -out with the Maoris afid the spelling decided, first as WANGAREI and later as WHANGAREI. I do not know by whom or when the H was inserted. The first record ‘of. its use, which I can trace, is in a marriage certificate issued by the Church of England there in 1861, and about that time onwafd the 12 members of the family (my father’s generation) all used the H in the name. : Personally, I never saw the-name spelt without the H until 1891. Joining the staff of the local Bank of New Zealand I was surprised to find the only domicilling stamp in use was spelt WANGAREI. The Bank opened in Whangarei in the. 1870s, but whether the lettering of the stamp was accidental or iftentional I do not know. My father (New Zealand-born, 1830) settled in Whangarei late in-the year 1842, was a Maori linguist of sdme repute, also @ registered native interpreter. He and many others looked askance at people pronouncing the name in such a manner as Mr. Reed quotes. . I would like to add to Mr. list of users a few culled from old letters, documents, etc., I hold, giving the different spellings and dates used by a number of prominent people, etc., They are as follows: WANGAREE Supreme Court, Auckland 1852 Power ‘of Attorney 1843 WHANGAREI , Church of England Marriage Certificate 1861 WANGAREI : Legal Document 1853 James Baker 1843 Rew. James Buller 1843 James Busby 1844 ~" Gilbert Mair 1843 Hone Heke 1843 : Tirarau (Wairoa Chief) 1844 Gisborne, ‘Col, Secy.’s Office 1856 Cc. W. Richmond, ditto 1856 W. J. Lewington 1843 WANGARI George Clarke 1843 E. Baker 1849 Governor Fitzroy 1844 H, C. Holman 1848 . Wm. Bedlington 1851 Legal Deed 1849
GILBERT H.
MAIR
‘Brown’s Bay).
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 768, 9 April 1954, Page 5
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369SPELLING OF WHANGAREI New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 768, 9 April 1954, Page 5
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