MAORI WAR VETERAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21467, 15 April 1933, Page 6

MAORI WAR VETERAN

CAPTAIN CORBETT-SCOTT NINETY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY . PUKEKOHE DEFENCE RECALLED The 95th birthday occurs to-day of Captain J. Corbett-Scott, of Epsom, one of the defenders of the redoubt at the East Pukekohe Church when it was besieged by Maoris during the Maori War. This has been described as one of the bravest incidents of the fighting. Captain Corbett-Scott maintains a good state of health in spite of his advanced years. As a result of Easter intervening, his birthday will be celebrated by a family gathering in a few days' time. Captain Corbett-Scott was born in Cornwall and left England with his parents when he was 20 years old. He arrived in Auckland in the ship Joseph Fletcher in March, 1858. After spending a short time in Auckland the family went to Pukekohe, where they Were engaged in farming for three years. At that time there were not more than 12 farms in the district, while the site of the present town was all Maori land. War commenced when the family had been in the district for three years. The first indication of trouble was when a body of troops marched through. Pukekohe on the way to Tuakau. The next day news was received that two men had been murdered by Maoris near Hamarama, and all the settlers of the district were told to move to Drury, where they remained for a few davs. Arrangement/ were then made for the older men to return to Pukekohe as a defence force. " There were 19 of us who went back to East Pukekohe to form a stockade," said Captain Corbett-Scott when recalling the occasion. "We had been working only a few hours building a redoubt when the Maoris attacked us. The force of natives must have been more than 300. The fight started about ten o'clock in the morning and went on for orer seven hours, it had been finished for five hours before assistance arrived from the settlements on the Great South Road. The first help came from Eamarama, while other assistance was sent from Drury. " None of us was killed, while the Maoris were driven off. When the war was over the Maori's own account of the fight stated that more than 40 Maoris were killed. After the engagement we were all dismissed and the regular troops occupied the redoubt. We did not return to our farms until the close of the war. All the families at JPukekohe came into Auckland or Onehnnga, wherever they could get cottages. My family stayed at Mangere." At the close of the war Captain Cor-bett-Scott returned to Pukekohe with his parents and remained there for 20 years. During this period he was married. He then went to Hawera, where he was engaged in farming for another 20 years, and returned to Auckland over 30 years ago, where he has resided since.