Pre 1848 Settlers of Otago and Southland

The following information was provided by Robert Kelly a descendent of John Kelly in January 2010.

Just up-dating information on John Kelly, the early settler who is featured on the pre 1848 settlers website.
(The reference to him coming on the ship 'St Michael' is incorrect - he came on the sealing schooner, "SAMUEL" in November 1824.)
Research since the 1998 re-union in Dunedin has resulted in the following brief summary of his life:

"John Kelly" was a common Irish convict name in the 1800s - there were more than 100 of them. My great-grandfather, John Kelly, as a boy of 15, was "...indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 23rd of September, 1815, 13 yards of printed cotton, value 13 shillings, the property of draper, John Waller, of 13 Aldgate High Street, Whitechapel, London." He was transported for 7 years to New South Wales. His first 8 months were spent on a hulk on the Thames before being transported in the vessel MARINER which arrived in Port Jackson, Australia, in October 1816.

He served much of his time at Windsor barracks, and was later sent to Newcastle for running away. He received various floggings for the crimes of "...disobedience of the repeated orders of the Commandant..." and "... absenting himself from church ...". For these "crimes" another two years were added to his sentence. He received his Certificate of Freedom in 1824, and left the colony as a seaman on the Sealing ship 'SAMUEL' in April 1824. It was destined for the sealing grounds in Foveaux Strait, New Zealand, but strong southerly winds forced them off course, and they sought shelter at the northern tip of the Marlborough Sounds, in Cook Strait. Captain Dawson and six crew members were replenishing their water supply when they were attacked by Maori warriors, and killed. John Kelly and 5 others were left as guard on board, and witnessed the massacre. They quickly weighed anchor, and sailed the 'Samuel' back to Port Jackson.

John Kelly signed on again, and left once more for the sealing grounds of Foveaux Strait in October 1824. This time the voyage was successful, and in November he was dropped off at Codfish Island (along with John Parker) and he spent one or two sealing seasons there before settling in Ruapuke Island for the next 30 years. John married a relative of the Maori chief Tuhawaiki - (possibly his sister), Hine Tuhawaiki. During his time on Ruapuke, he was employed in various positions - as Sealer, Trader, Whaler, and finally Boatman and guide. He had one child to Hine, and three other children to earlier liaisons. After Hine's death in 1849, he eventually met, and married a Scottish widow from the new Otago settlement of Dunedin, Mrs Christian Niven (nee Swan) in December 1850. Kelly took Christian and the three younger children to Ruapuke Is in his sealing boat. (Christian Niven had arrived with her husband Dugald and four children on the ship Philip Laing in April 1848. Dugald was killed by a falling tree 9 months after arrival.) John and Christian had two boys born on Ruapuke.
The three families of children, hers, his, and theirs, moved over to the mainland in 1855 with their cattle and goods, and built their home, first at Bluff, then at an estuarine headland called 'The Point". This turned out to be the chosen site for the southern city of Invercargill, and John and Christian's family were its first citizens. (March 1856.) Another son was born on July 6th 1856 - Invercargill's first.
John never discussed his convict past, and generations of descendants have not been aware of this until recently.

For further information contact Robert Kelly [rj.kelly@ihug.co.nz]