ALDRED, JOHN (1818-94) was born at Stutton, Suffolk, where he was qualifying for the Wesleyan ministry; he was ordained at Bristol on 4 Sep 1839. Having been selected with several others by the centenary conference at Liverpool for missionary service in the South Seas, he sailed in the brigantine Triton, 119 tons, accompanied by the Revs Buddle, Turton, Smales and Buttle.

Arriving at Hokianga on 8 May 1840, Aldred, with Buttle and Ironside, proceeded to their station at Ahuahu, near Kawhia. Here he made quick progress in mastering the Maori language. Travelling on foot to the southern settlements of Taranaki and Wanganui, the three missionaries fell in with a large number of prisoners captured by the Waikato in recent raids upon the Taranaki tribes. They secured the release of many of them and accompanied them back to their homes in Taranaki. In return the Maori tapued 100 acres of land for the purposes of the mission. At Oeo Aldred narrowly escaped evil consequences from having unwittingly used for kindling purposes sacred wood from a wahi tapu. Having reached Waitotara in three months from Kawhia, they returned by foot in three weeks and sailed shortly afterwards in the Magnet for their southern stations. Aldred reached Port Nicholson on 23 Dec 1840 and took up his abode at the Te Aro pa as the first resident Wesleyan minister in Wellington. On 16 Jun 1842 he sailed for the Chatham islands in the schooner Blossom (which was wrecked shortly after her arrival). He was the first clergyman to visit these islands. The 600 Maori to whom he ministered had come from Taranaki eight years earlier, having sold their guns and potatoes to induce Captain Howard to give them a passage in his brig. They found 300 Moriori, whom they enslaved. On 24 Feb 1843, shortly before the Wairau affray, Aldred left Wellington to take charge of a mission at Nelson. In 1849 he was appointed to the Hutt, but before taking up his new post he visited Auckland. He remained at the Hutt until Mar 1854, when he moved to Canterbury as the first resident Wesleyan minister in Christchurch. He married a daughter of the Rev Walter Lawry, superintendent of the mission. After opening the first Wesleyan chapel in Canterbury he moved in 1859 to the Hutt, in 1862 to Wellington, and in 1864 to Dunedin. While there he travelled far and wide on the goldfields, and while riding over the hills from Port Chalmers to Dunedin met with an accident from the results of which he was compelled to retire from regular service in 1867. Thereafter he did connexional work for the remainder of his life and took a keen interest in the British and Foreign Bible society and the female refuge. He died on 12 Jan 1894.

Morley (p); W. J. Williams (p); Buller; M. A. R. Pratt (information); Lyttelton Times, 13 Jan 1894.

Reference: Volume 1, page 20

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