Maori wars - military records?

[abstraction]

George Cannon, b. circ 1810, moved to Dunedin from Tasmania sometime between 1863 and 1865. He was still in Dunedin in 1881.

My grandmother told me that he fought in the Maori wars - and that he nearly had his thumb cut off in the fighting. That's all I know.

Is there some way to look up his military records?

[Suzy W]

Could try this

http://archives.govt.nz/research/guides/war#nine

Also

http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/WarsAndConflicts/NewZealandWars/NewZealandWars.pdf

[minniehaha]

Hello,

A George Cannon to be found on the Dunedin Electoral Rolls in 1893......

http://marvin.otago.ac.nz/oni/details.php?recid=372556.16


Minniehaha.

[minniehaha]

The same George Cannon???

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=ODT18930110.2.43&srpos=14&e=--1893-----10--11----2george+cannon--

[Letter to the editor concerning this man]


Minniehaha.

[alamar]

I'm no expert on the NZ Wars but as a born and bred Dunedinite I believe the only conflict in the South Island was that at Tuamarina in 1843 where the settlers came off decidedly second best. The wars of the 1860's and 1870's were a northern affair. At that time the NZ Govt formed militias at larger settlements and George might well have belonged to that at Dunedin. From 1863 the Otago area was the scene of a major gold rush and Dunedin became the most prominent and richest city in NZ. Their minds were on anything but fighting maori.

Alan

[abstraction]

This site is amazing - very helpful replies, thank you all.

Suzy W = It appears I would have to be in NZ to check out the records. Thank you.
minniehaha = Yes, these are both him. The newspaper article actually confirms what I thought my grandmother told me in 1976 - that the missionary daughter Maud was the eldest. Her descendants have disputed this! Thanks. Every one of my grandmother's anecdotal stories has thus far been confirmed - except his battle in the maori wars.
alamar = He definitely came to Otago from Tasmania to search for gold, having already done so in Bendigo, Victoria twice. But narrowing down when and where he was pulled into militia is the tricky bit.

[alamar]

The point of my comments was that if he was wounded in the Maori Wars then he was a long way north of Dunedin. If he never left the South then he never fought in the Maori Wars and grandmother's story cannot true.

Alan

[abstraction]

Thanks Alan - I didn't miss your point. I know he hadn't arrived in Dunedin prior to 1863 and had definitely arrived by 1865, so I deduced from your post he must have been involved in the fighting in the north. However, it's likely his family maintained their address in Dunedin.

So these records of war service are not online, apart from decorated and those from Christchurch that Suzy shared?

[spades]

Hi Abstraction,

A search of Archives New Zealand's search portal, Archway, does not bring up any obvious reference for your man. If he had fought in the Maori Wars and applied for the New Zealand Medal his claim would appear on Archway as I have seen quite a number of these.

It is possible that he fought but perhaps under another name, but in any case he didn't apply for a medal under his own name.

Spades