WICKSTEED, JOHN TYLSTON (1806-60) was at one time associated with the literary staff of the London Spectator under Rintoul, and was a friend of E. G. Wakefield and Molesworth. In Dec 1840 he came to New Zealand (in the London) as agent for the Church of England Society, to select 4,000 acres of land in anticipation of Selwyn's arrival. In May 1842 he was sent to New Plymouth to take Liardet's place as resident agent. He found the settlement in considerable confusion and experienced great difficulty in finding land for the settlers, owing to the obstruction of the natives. He persuaded the Maori to allow a track to be cut towards Wellington east of Mount Egmont, but nearer New Plymouth had repeatedly to remove fencing erected by the natives on land which was supposed to have been acquired for settlement. His reports to the directors of the New Zealand Company showed a clear appreciation of the needs of the settlers, but he was constantly harassed by the encroachments of the natives. He was superseded by Bell as resident agent in 1847, and then took up land at Omata and became editor of the Taranaki Herald.

In 1852 Wicksteed was elected as an independent member to the Legislative Council of New Ulster (Wicksteed, 108; J. C. Richmond, 30; Scotland, 6). When a year later he contested the superintendency his popularity had noticeably waned. The result was: Brown, 173; W. Halse, 138; Wicksteed, 12. About 1853 he moved to Wanganui and took up land at Kai Iwi. He was for some time editor of the Wanganui Chronicle, and died on 15 Jan 1860.

NZ.C.; Col. Gent.; Wells; Seffern; Woon; Taranaki Herald, 20 Jul 1853; Wanganui Chronicle, 19 Jan 1860.

Reference: Volume 2, page 256

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