WILSON, JOHN ALEXANDER (1829-1909) was the eldest son of the Rev. J. A. Wilson (q.v.), and was born at Conde, France. He arrived in New Zealand with his parents in 1833 in the schooner Byron, and was educated mainly at the Waimate grammar school, the King's school at Parramatta, N.S.W., and St John's College, Auckland. His early years were spent at Bay of Islands and Bay of Plenty, and he was then engaged for some years farming at Opotiki and Tamaki. In 1857 he was elected to represent the Pensioner Settlements in the Auckland Provincial Council, of which he was a member until 1861. In that year he joined Nixon's cavalry, and two years later, on the outbreak of the Waikato war, he raised a company of the 3rd Waikato Regiment, and was appointed to command it with the rank of captain. He greatly distinguished himself at Rangiaohia (21 Feb 1864), when Nixon was killed. In 1866, at the conclusion of hostilities, Wilson was appointed special commissioner and crown agent for the settlement of confiscated lands in Bay of Plenty; in 1868 general native agent for the northern district, and in 1873 native land purchase officer for the East Coast. He became a judge of the native land court (1878-80) and from 1886 for 30 years was occupied with the duties of that court, the appellate court and the validation court and as a trust commissioner.

He had a profound knowledge of Maori language and lore, and published two important books, The Story of Te Waharoa (1866) and Sketches of Ancient Maori Life (1894), as well as pamphlets on The Immortality of the Universe (1875) and other subjects. He died on 28 Apr 1909.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Gudgeon (p); J. A. Wilson, op. cit., The Modus Operandi (1884); R. Cooper, Land Purchase on the East Coast (1877); N.Z. Herald, 29 Apr 1909.

Reference: Volume 2, page 264

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