REVANS, SAMUEL (1808-88) was born in England, the son of a doctor-apothecary, who brought him up to the printing trade. From his early years he was a militant radical. In 1833, with H. S. Chapman (q.v.) he went to Canada, and together they ran the Montreal Daily Advertiser. The proprietors were generally at loggerheads with the official and wealthy classes, and the paper never paid. When Chapman was sent by the Liberal party in Canada on a political mission to England, the paper closed down (1834). Revans stayed on for a short time in Canada, to become involved, it is said, in the rising under Papineau (1837). When it failed he made his way into the United States, and thence to England.

There the Chartist movement was at its height, and Revans became associated with Henry Vincent, Roebuck, and Cobden. He acted as second to Roebuck in a duel with Black, the editor of the Morning Chronicle (1835). Shots were exchanged twice without effect, and in an altercation Revans offered to fight the other second. Revans became interested in the colonisation of New Zealand, and on 21 Aug 1839 issued from his office, 16 Little Pulteney street, St James's, London, the first number of the New Zealand Gazette. On that same day he was appointed secretary under the provisional constitution drawn up by the intending emigrants for their own governance when they should land in New Zealand. The next issue of the paper was to appear as soon as possible after the landing of the newspaper plant, which Revans took with him in the Adelaide. The vessel arrived at Port Nicholson on 7 Mar 1840, and Revans landed with his Columbia printing press on the beach of Petone. There, on 18 Apr 1840, he brought out the second issue of the New Zealand Gazette. One of his staff was Thomas Wilmor McKenzie (q.v.). When the settlement was moved to Lambton the paper was called the New Zealand Gazette and Britannia Spectator.

Revans took an important position in the community. The provisional council met for the first time on 4 Apr, and all of its official documents until it was declared illegal by Lieut Governor Hobson were signed by Revans as secretary. In 1843 he published the first Wellington Almanac, which for many years was an accurate chronicle of the events of the province. In the same year he sold the paper to a company, and William Fox became editor. The founder for a while devoted his energies to the importation of merchandise from England and cattle from Australia. In 1846, after the hostilities in the Hutt Valley, he presided over the public meeting held to consider measures of defence. In 1847 he severed his connection with journalism, and joined W. Mein Smith in the ownership of a large run in the Wairarapa. At one time they had 22,000 acres of freehold and 30,000 acres on lease.

Revans was a member of Parliament for Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay (1853-55) and for Hutt (1856-58). In provincial politics he was member for Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay (1853-57), and on two occasions he held office in Featherston's executive. He was a member of the Council's first committee on education (1853). The run was not always successful and in 1851 Revans chartered the barque Thames and loaded her with timber and potatoes for California. He was forestalled by earlier cargoes; the timber was not a success, but the potatoes found a good market.

When the leases fell in (about 1872) part of the Wairarapa property passed into the hands of Waterhouse. Another portion, where Martinborough now stands, was bought by John Martin. Revans continued to reside with his partner at Woodside. He and Smith were almost the first to take an interest in the timber industry in the Wairarapa, but the want of a railway was a serious drawback. Revans died on 14 Jul 1888.

N.Z.C. papers; Wellington P.C. Proc.; Cycl. N.Z., i; R. E. Leader, Life and Letters of John Arthur Roebuck (1897); Ward; E. J. Wakefield; Otago Daily Times, 25 Nov 1874; Evening Post, 14 Sep 1929 (p), 20 Sep 1929 (by H. Fildes). Portraits: General Assembly Library.

Reference: Volume 2, page 115

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