The Story of Anne Catherine Wilson. Part One

In the mission cemetery in Tauranga, straight ahead as you walk up the path, is the grave of Anne Catherine Wilson. The inscription reads:

Anne Catherine Wilson,
wife of John Alexander Wilson.
23 November 1838 age 36.
“I shall soon be beyond that star and be with Him”

Anne Wilson nee Hawker was a gentle born ‘well–connected’ young lady with a very serious nature. She was born in Ireland but the family was living on Jersey when she met and married John Alexander Wilson. He had been in the Royal Navy as a gentleman volunteer and was also, like Anne’s parents, from a family with a background in the military. They were married in 1828.

Under the influence of Anne, John Wilson was converted to the Christian cause and they began to consider becoming missionaries. The Wilsons were different from many other missionaries, Anne’s family had ‘connections’ with gentry and her husband was a former naval officer and ‘gentleman’. They were accepted by the CMS (Church Missionary Society)and to the horror of Anne’s family were posted to that ‘outlandish place’ New Zealand*1.

In 1832 with their two small sons John age 3 and James age 1, they left for NZ via New South Wales (Australia)on the convict ship Camden. The trip was not without incident, Anne wrote in her journal;

“This has been an eventful, awful day. This morning I spent nursing little James who is poorly from the extreme heat. While we were at dinner a dreadful squall arose and carried away a sail and boom. It appeared as if the ship would overturn. I cannot say I felt the least alarm although most on board were greatly frightened. No one but a person in such a situation could conceive such a scare, convicts, soldiers, sailors, pulling ropes, running to and fro, the Captain and the First Mate bawling, cursing, and swearing in the most horrid manner. Women and children crying, and in about half an hour there was a calm."

“There is some talk of the convicts rising and taking the vessel, if there has been any plot its being discovered will prevent it, but some of the Officers we feel look at John supposing him to be the cause. Much is the prejudice against missionaries.”

For the next 6 years of her life Anne kept her journal in which she unburdened herself of her worries and fears. Her husband also kept many of her letters. Her journal and letters show her isolation, loneliness and devotion to the evangelical cause. The originals are in the Alexander Turnbull Library.*2

They arrived at the Bay of Islands*3 in April 1833. In the Bay of Islands John learnt some of the practical work expected of a missionary which he sometimes found difficult and distasteful. Anne was kept busy in the schools and they both began learning the Maori language.

She wrote in her Journal:

“We have thus begun housekeeping in this savage land. I have schools to attend to and girls under my charge, besides my own children”*4

Footnotes.
*1 New Zealand at that time was not an organised colony. The only people of European descent living here were transient whalers and sealers and the occasional European trader.

*2 The Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington is a repository for historical documents and other important historical data relating to early NZ.

*3 The Bay of Islands in the North of the North Island was the 'headquarters' for the Church Missionary Society's operation in NZ. Their mission stations there at Kerikeri and Paihia and Waimate had been established around 1818.

*4 The missionary's wives were expected to teach the Maori children to read and write and to also teach the women cooking, sewing etc in the English style.

To be continued...........