Thomas Gore Browne

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Thomas Gore Browne (1896)

Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne (born July 3, 1807 in Aylesbury , Buckinghamshire , England , † April 17, 1887 in London ) was a British officer and governor of the British colonies of St. Helena , New Zealand and Tasmania .

Life

Thomas Gore Browne was born in Aylesbury, the first son of Colonel Robert Browne and his wife Sarah Dorothea Steward. His father's family, of Anglo-Irish descent ( Browne (family) ), settled in Aylesbury in the late 18th century. Since sons of all generations in the family served in the military , it was also clear that Thomas Gore would be a soldier.

military service

In 1824, when he was only 17, he was deployed as an ensign in the 44th Regiment of Foot (East Essex ) of the British Army . He moved to the 28th Regiment of Foot (North Gloucestershire ) , became a lieutenant in 1826 , a captain in 1829 and a major in 1834 . From 1832 to 1835 he made his first experiences in civil administration as adjutant to the High Commissioner in the United States of the Ionian Islands, which was under British protectorate . In 1836 he moved to the 41st Regiment of Foot ( Wales ) and was used in 1842 in the first Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842) and then appointed Brevet - Lieutenant Colonel . In 1845 he was finally appointed lieutenant colonel. In 1849 he changed regiment one last time and was transferred to the 21st Regiment of Foot (Royal North British Fusilier) , from which he then retired in 1851 with half a pension .

Governor of St. Helena

In 1851 Browne was appointed governor and military commander of St. Helena in the South Atlantic . He made sure that the water supply on the island was improved.

Governor of New Zealand

In 1855 he was appointed governor of New Zealand . Browne was not familiar with the specifics of the Māori culture when he took office . After arriving in Auckland on September 6, 1855 , he therefore traveled intensively to the two islands for seven months in order to get to know the country and its people and the problems of the coexistence of cultures better.

Tensions between the Pākehā (European settlers) and the Māori on the north island of the country were already high. 5/6 of the land was still owned by the Māori, and as the Māori population declined, that of the settlers rose rapidly. They claimed land from the Maori in whatever way.

When Browne came to New Zealand, only a small part of the General Assembly of the House of Representatives was left, and the House of Representatives avoided responsible government. Browne dissolved parliament and held new elections in April 1856. After the election, he hired Henry Sewell to form a government. Sewell only held office for 13 days and was overthrown by William Fox . That in turn was overthrown by Edward Stafford , also after 13 days. With Stafford, however, Browne was able to work together until his recall in 1861. But Browne mistrusted the parliament, which was exclusively occupied by white settlers, and preferred to keep control of Māori affairs to himself as the commander of the British soldiers.

Browne's Māori policy had three goals: 1. to buy surplus Māori land quickly, 2. to place land that the Māori would need in the future under trusteeship and to place the land under the protection of the crown for themselves, and 3. a local government with jurisdiction to install in the districts of Māori to replace so that old structures and tribal tours.

Browne's fundamental concern to do something for the good of the Māori was overshadowed by his decision to insist on the sale of a small area of ​​land near Waitara in northern Taranaki . So he had turned the clan chief Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke against himself. Browne's second wrong decision was to trust his negotiator Donald McLean , who upset the Māori through unscrupulous business conduct. Tensions increased and discharged in the first Taranaki War . After neither side could win in the conflict, an armistice was agreed in April 1861. The third misjudgment of Browne was that he was sure of the support of the Colonial Office in London when he mobilized against the so-called King Movement of the Māori. After Browne had the majority of the government against him in addition to Stafford, he was recalled from the Colonial Office in May 1861, but continued to run his business until September 1861, when his predecessor George Edward Gray , who returned from Australia , served as a Governor to be replaced.

Governor of Tasmania

On December 10, 1861, Browne was appointed governor of Tasmania . His arrival in Hobart , the capital of Tasmania, was celebrated exceptionally. A week-long carnival was held, probably more than joy that its predecessor, who was considered someone of the "old school", was now gone.

Browne maintained his popularity through the difficult economic years that followed. The gold rush in Victoria and New South Wales had left the workforce. Browne campaigned for better irrigation techniques and better farming methods, tried to promote education and training in commerce and trade. His demand for a trade union for all Australian colonies also earned him recognition. However, he lost his public and ministerial reputation in the final year of his tenure due to a questionable promotion of an older official.

Return to Great Britain

He returned to England in 1869 and was honored with the Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG) in June 1869 . Owing to his pension, he took up the position of administrator in Bermuda for 10 months in July 1870 .

Thomas Gore Browne died in London on April 17, 1887.

Family and wife

On June 4, 1851, Browne married Harriet Louisa Campbell (1829-1906) , 22 years younger from Scotland , in St Quivox in South Ayrshire . They had four sons and two daughters together. Their first child and daughter, Mabyl Helena was born on St. Helena, three sons Harold , Wilfrid and Francis were born in New Zealand and daughter Ethel and son Godfrey were born in Tasmania.

Browne appeared to have given up his military career because of his wife, Harriet. Immediately after marriage, he took up the post of governor of St. Helena. Browne's wife was particularly valued in New Zealand for her pleasant personality, musicality, and interest in literature and theater. She also received recognition for her understanding of politics. She was said to rule the country in the same way as the governor himself and that he would not write or sign anything without first consulting her.

After the Taranaki War and Browne's removal from his post as governor in New Zealand, his wife tried to save his reputation by writing letters.

In Tasmania, Browne's wife was more involved in the social field, taught at so-called ragged schools ( poor school ) and industrial schools (a kind of vocational training school), read in hospices and organized such help and was the patron of women's shelters and children's homes .

After the death of her husband in 1887, Harriet Browne traveled again to Tasmania in 1898 for a visit. She herself, who was born July 1, 1829, it is believed, in Edinburgh , Scotland, died on April 9, 1906 in Brooklands , Weybridge , Surrey , England.

Awards

literature

Web links

predecessor Office successor
George Edward Gray Governor of New Zealand
1855–1861
George Edward Gray