McDONNELL, THOMAS (1788-1864) was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and entered the Royal Navy in 1804 as a midshipman. In that year he was present in the Veteran at the attack on Boulogne. In 1809 he commanded one of the boats in the attack on the French fleet in the Basque roads, and he was in a gunboat at Walcheren. In 1810 he was appointed lieutenant in command of the sloop Opossum, in which he saw service against slavers on the west coast of Africa. He had further service in Europe and the West Indies in the Hero, Narcissus, Hercules and Valiant, and took part in the blockade of New York in 1814.

At the conclusion of peace in 1815 McDonnell went on half-pay and joined the East India Company's service. He commanded one of the Company's ships in the Red Sea, where he made certain explorations, and he conveyed the embassy to Siam. McDonnell travelled a good deal in India, and accompanied Sir Frederick Henniker in a tour of Egypt. He afterwards fitted out an opium clipper for trade in China and the Islands. He seems to have visited Sydney first in 1828-29; and in 1830 he was commanding the brig Elizabeth in the China seas. About this time he visited Kaipara and Hokianga, and named Port McDonnell in Hawke's Bay. He made a report to the Admiralty on the supply of kauri spars from New Zealand.

Having purchased land on the Hokianga harbour from a Sydney firm, McDonnell came to New Zealand in the Lady Flora and established a dockyard at Horeke, which was managed by Frederick Russell. In 1831 he purchased the Sir George Murray, in which he brought his family to New Zealand. In 1835 they built the schooner Tui. McDonnell did a considerable trade with the natives, and in the supply of spars for H.M. ships. These were got in the neighbourhood of Horeke and rafted down Hokianga harbour. In 1835 he made an agreement with some chiefs at Bay of Islands to open the entrance to Hokianga. This he achieved in the following year. At that time he had the largest mill on the Hokianga (about three miles above the mission station). He owned two ships and employed a good number of people. Part of McDonnell's journal was published in 1834.

In 1835 he persuaded the Secretary of State to appoint him an additional British Resident for the Hokianga district. He took a leading part in the government of the white community, with the assistance of the Hokianga chiefs, but came into conflict with Busby, who complained of his taking independent action. In 1837 he gave up his duties as a resident. In 1839 McDonnell visited Great Britain, where he disposed of his rights to the New Zealand Company for £5,000 and a salary of £300 a year. He returned to New Zealand in 1841, but was again in England in 1844, when he gave evidence before the parliamentary committee on New Zealand.

During Heke's war in 1845 McDonnell strongly fortified his yards at Horeke. He had by this time to a great extent lost his influence with the natives. He petitioned Parliament in 1846 for compensation. He died on 13 Sep 1864 (see THOMAS McDONNELL, 1832-99).

G.B.C.P., 1844/556; App. H.R., 1856 ii, E3, D15; PRO. CO. 208; NZ. Archives BR. 1 and 2; NZC. Hist. Rec. Aust., ser. 1, xvi; O'Byrne, Naval Biographies; Earle; Sherrin and Wallace; E. J. Wakefield; H. E. M. Fildes in N.Z. Herald, 14 Jul 1934.

Reference: Volume 2, page 7

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