BUTT, HENRY FRANCIS (1815-86) was a son of the Rev John Marten Butt, vicar of Oddingley, Worcestershire. To prepare for the medical profession he was articled to Dr Webb (Lilleshall, Shropshire) and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, but being attracted towards missionary life, he offered his services to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. He was accepted as a catechist and sailed for New Zealand with Bishop Selwyn in the Tomatin (Dec 1841). In common with the others of the party Butt studied Maori on the voyage. On arrival in Bay of Islands (by the Bristolian from Sydney) he travelled a good deal with Selwyn and was specially employed in rendering medical service to both Maori and pakeha and giving lectures on medicine at the college at Waimate. In 1843 he was ordained deacon and married Serena (d. 1901), daughter of the Rev Richard Davis. He was appointed to Nelson and distinguished himself in charge of the bishop's school, of which he took charge in 1847, when he was ordained priest and appointed to the Nelson parish. In 1849 he laid the foundation stone of the first Nelson cathedral, which was opened by Selwyn in 1851.

While in Nelson Butt had charge of practically the whole of the South Island except Motueka, and he made many long and arduous journeys. In 1857 he was offered the missionary district of Wairau and he settled at Beavertown, erecting a house for himself at Amersfoort and preaching in the courthouse. Two years later Hobhouse (the first Bishop of Nelson) licensed him as curate of Wairau and Waitohi, and shortly afterwards Waitohi and Picton were made a separate district. Early in 1860 the first church was commenced in Blenheim, the church of the Nativity being dedicated in Dec 1861. Blenheim later became a separate parish. In 1868 Butt was collated the first archdeacon of Marlborough, and in succeeding years he saw many new parishes formed and churches built. He resigned owing to failing health in 1884 and died on 20 Dec 1886. Butt continued to an advanced age to administer medical help where called for. All fees received as a doctor in his early days in New Zealand he paid into the sick fund of the church.

Tucker; Coleman; Davis; Annals Dioc. N.Z.; Marlborough Express, 24 Dec 1886; Church of Nativity (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 80

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