SMALES, GIDEON (1817-94) was born at Whitby, Yorkshire. Inclined from his youth for mission work, he was accepted by the Wesleyan Methodist conference and ordained at Liverpool (1839). In Sep he sailed from Bristol in the Triton, 120 tons, and after calling at Hobart arrived at Hokianga in Mar 1840. Until 1856 he was engaged in mission work amongst the Maori. In the early forties he was stationed at Nelson and his duties took him to Wairau. There he discussed with Te Rauparaha and his chiefs the claim to the plain, and at Te Rauparaha's request took a message to Captain Wakefield stating definitely that he would resist seizure of the Wairau. After the affray he went to Wairau and later to Porirua, where he recovered from the Ngati-Toa chiefs Wakefield's cutter. On retiring from the mission (1856) Smales went to live on his land at East Tamaki, and in a few years had 300 acres under cultivation. He erected a stone church which was available for all denominations. At the opening of the Thames goldfields he erected at his own expense a home institute, partly as a shelter and partly as a place of worship and meeting of benevolent societies. The institute cost £4,000 and involved Smales in heavy loss. He was a man of superior mental attainments and cultured mind, and a fluent speaker. On one of his visits to England he published Whitby Authors and their Publications (1867), containing nine pages devoted to Captain Cook. He also published some pamphlets in New Zealand. Smales died on 5 Oct 1894.

Smales, Op. cit., and reminiscences in N.Z. Herald, 11 Mar, 1 Apr, 10, 17 Jun, 9 Dec 1893; N.Z. Herald, 28 Apr, 14 Jul, 11 Aug, 6 Oct 1894.

Reference: Volume 2, page 157

🌳 Further sources