SHORTLAND, WILLOUGHBY (1804-69) was the eldest son of Captain T. G. Shortland, R.N., and brother of Dr Edward Shortland (q.v.) and Vice-admiral Peter F. Shortland. Educated at the Royal Naval College, he entered the service in Jan 1818. A lieutenant in 1828, he served in the Galatea, 42 guns, and the Ranger, 28 guns (on the Jamaica station). After some years in the Mediterranean, he was mate in the Blanche on the South American station. As acting-lieutenant of the Victor, he served under Captain Hobson (q.v.) in the West Indies and nursed him through an attack of yellow fever. Promoted lieutenant, and appointed (1831) to command the schooner Skipjack, five guns, he served until he was invalided home (Jun 1833). His period of inactivity lasted until Hobson took him out to New Zealand in 1838. Gipps gave him the appointment of police magistrate in New Zealand; but soon after landing he was acting as the principal government official. During Hobson's illness he assumed the authority of the Governor and visited the far north to obtain signatures to the Treaty. When a separate government was established (1841) Shortland was Colonial Secretary, and he spent three months at Port Nicholson displaying "the dignity and importance of the Crown" and establishing a proper administration. Shortland and other officials were reprimanded by the Colonial Office for taking improper advantage of the privilege of purchasing lands in the Colony.

On Hobson's death (Sep 1842) Shortland became administrator. Embarrassed throughout by native troubles and financial perplexities, he had the temerity to govern without the assistance of the Legislative Council, which was not convened during his administration. He tried to raise money in New South Wales, at 15 per cent. interest, and when that failed he resorted to the expedient of issuing bills on the British Treasury. These were dishonoured, but the Colonial Office advanced an equal amount to enable the Colony to carry on. Shortland's relations with the colonists were characterised by high-handedness and lack of sympathy; but he cannot be accused of lack of vigour following the affair at Wairau, and he managed to restrain the settlers, who resented his strictures and appealed to New South Wales for assistance. FitzRoy, arriving at the end of 1843, treated Shortland rather more brusquely than he deserved, and he resigned, making way for Andrew Sinclair, who had come to the Colony with FitzRoy. Shortland returned to England. He was appointed in 1845 president of the island of Nevis (West Indies), and in 1854 governor of Tobago. This post he held until 1856, when he retired to live in Devonshire. In 1864 he was gazetted a commander on the retired list. He died on 7 Oct 1869. Shortland married at Auckland (1841) Isabella Kate Johnston, daughter of Robert A. Fitzgerald (q.v.) of Geraldine, county Limerick.

G.B.C.P., 1841/311, 1842/566, 1845/108, 1846/337; D.N.B.; Sinclair Papers; N.Z. Gaz.; Wakefield; Rusden; Saunders; Sherrin and Wallace (p); Scholefield, Hobson; Harrop; Thomson.

Reference: Volume 2, page 153

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