RESEARCH FOR CENTENNIAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22335, 24 February 1938, Page 9

RESEARCH FOR CENTENNIAL

■ 4 EARLY NEW ZEALAND RECORDS INVESTIGATIONS MADE IN ENGLAND Cteom ova own correspondent.) LONDON, January 15. Valuable new material bearing on New Zealand’s early history has been secured by Professor J. Rutherford, Professor of History at Auckland University College in the course of his sabbatical leave in England. As a member of the Auckland Provincial and National Centennial Committees, he has been busily engaged throughout his leave in research into the establishment of British rule in New Zealand. In addition to extensive investigations at the Public Records Office and other repositories of official documents, he has been dealing with papers forwarded by private families as the result of an appeal issued through the High Commissioner’s Office for manuscripts likely to be of historical value. A good many of these have been of minor value, but one or two important collections have been obtained. These include the Felton Mathew manuscripts, which are the papers, journals, and documents of the first surveyor-general and his wife. They have been collected from three branches of the family in England and throw a great deal of light on the first year of Captain William Hobson’s administration, giving a full and detailed account of many of the events of this period. Another valuable collection is the papers of Sir Edward Stafford, first Prime Minister to hold office for any length of time. It includes both official documents and family letters and has been given to the New Zealand Government by Sir Edward’s daughter, Miss M. M. Stafford. A great deal of material relating to Captain Hobson has been given by Colonel Rendel. It includes two very valuable greenstone meres given to Hobson by Maori chiefs. Professor Rutherford says his examination of official records has given him several new interpretations of events, but that so far there have been "no epoch-making discoveries.” It is likely that his researches will keep him fully occupied until his departure for New Zealand with his wife and their son about the end of April.