CUTFIELD, GEORGE (1799-1879) was born at Deal and was a naval architect in the naval dockyard at Devonport. He was in charge of the expedition of the Plymouth Company in the William Bryan, which sailed from Plymouth Sound on 19 Nov 1840. After calling at Cloudy Bay and Port Nicholson they arrived off the Sugar Loaves on 30 Mar 1841. Cutfield's report to the directors (2 May 1841) shows that Carrington had already selected the site for the town. Cutfield took energetic measures to carry out his mission. While acting as storekeeper and immigration agent (until 1843) he was also a justice of the peace. In 1847 he endeavoured, with his brother-in-law (Henry King) to lease the Tataraimaka block, but being unsuccessful they farmed together at Brooklands.

In 1851 he was appointed to the Legislative Council of New Zealand and in 1853 he was elected to represent Grey and Bell in the Taranaki Provincial Council, in which he sat until the end of 1856. In 1853 also he was called to the new Legislative Council, from which he retired a few months later. Early in 1857 Cutfield was elected Superintendent of the province. During his term of office hostilities broke out over the Waitara purchase. Though warned by his executive (J. C. Richmond and T. King) against the grave results that were likely to ensue, he pledged the province to assist in carrying out the government's policy. On the completion of his term as Superintendent (Jul 1861) he withdrew from the election and allowed C. Brown to be returned for another term. In 1858 Cutfield was recalled to the Legislative Council and he was a member until his resignation in 1867. He assisted the government in obtaining the Tataraimaka block, upon which for many years he had a large cattle run. He acted as deputy-Superintendent in 1870. Cutfield did much to introduce English garden seeds into Taranaki. In later years he was a warm patron of the turf. He died on 22 Jan 1879.

Taranaki P.C. minutes; Taranaki Herald and Budget, 18 Dec 1926 (p); Taranaki News, 25 Jan 1879. Portrait: Taranaki Hist. Coll.

Reference: Volume 1, page 110

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