Marmaduke Nixon
Marmaduke Nixon | |
---|---|
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Franklin | |
In office 28 January 1861 – 27 May 1864 | |
Succeeded by | Theodore Haultain |
Personal details | |
Born | 1813 or 14 Valletta, Malta |
Died | 27 May 1864 (aged 50–51) Auckland, New Zealand |
Resting place | Nixon monument, Ōtāhuhu, New Zealand |
Military service | |
Branch/service | British Army (1831–51) New Zealand Militia (1860–64) |
Rank | Colonel |
Commands | Colonial Defence Force Cavalry |
Battles/wars | Coorg War Gwalior campaign
|
Marmaduke George Nixon (1813 or 1814 – 27 May 1864) was a soldier in the
Early life
Marmaduke George Nixon was born in Valletta on the island of Malta in either 1813 or 1814. He was one of at least three children of Henry Nixon, an officer in the British Army, and his wife Elizabeth née Browne. Marmaduke attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, from which he graduated in 1831 before he was posted to the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot as an ensign.[1]
British Army
Nixon spent a number of years in
Life in New Zealand
During his service in British India, Nixon made the acquaintance of Theodore Haultain, a fellow officer of the 39th Regiment who later moved to New Zealand. At Haultain's suggestion, Nixon travelled on the ship Cresswell to settle in New Zealand, arriving in 1852. He began farming at Māngere, south of Auckland.[3] Te Ākitai Waiohua, who lived across the Pūkaki Creek from Nixon and other Manukau Harbour tribes, assisted Nixon building his farmhouses.[4] Soon, along with other landowners in the area, he sought access to Māori land in the Waikato region.[1] However, by this time, Māori were beginning to become increasingly resistant to selling of their land, leading to increased tensions with the New Zealand Government.[3]
Following the commencement in March 1860 of
The Royal Volunteer Cavalry was disbanded in 1862.[6] However, the following year the Colonial Defence Force Cavalry was formed and Nixon was appointed its commander. He helped in the recruitment for the unit, attracting almost 200 men from Otahuhu, which soon became known as "Nixon's Horse",[1] which had troops at Auckland, Howick and Otahuhu. He is considered the father of New Zealand cavalry for his roles in raising the first units of their type in New Zealand.[6]
Invasion of the Waikato
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1861–1864 | 3rd | Franklin | Independent |
In July 1863, Nixon's Horse was part of the British and Colonial forces, commanded by General
Beyond the town, 3 miles (4.8 km) away, was the settlement of Rangiaowhia. Cameron opted to advance against this settlement as well. Nixon led the attack on the lightly defended village, at which there were many women and children present. Possibly influenced by the fact that Cameron was observing events, Nixon's leadership of the attack was reckless and he was shot and severely wounded as he approached a hut. About 24 Māori were killed or wounded during the attack and another 33 taken prisoner.[1][8] The British then withdrew to Te Awamutu.[8] Cameron was later criticised for the Rangiaowhia attack; it was not a fighting pā and the Kingites considered the action contrary to established conduct of warfare.[9] There were also accusations that one or more whare to which some Māori had fled during the Rangiaowhia attack were set on fire with them inside and that one man attempting to surrender was shot.[10]
After Rangiaowhia, Nixon was evacuated north to his property at Mangarei in Mangere. His wounds, to his chest and lungs, ultimately proved fatal and gangrene set in several weeks later. He died at his home on 27 May 1864.[2] The previous month he had been promoted to colonel.[11] He was one of the highest-ranking soldiers to have been a casualty of the New Zealand Wars.[6] Buried at Symonds Street Cemetery, he was survived by his two sisters.[12] Nixon's death resulted in the 1864 Franklin by-election, won unopposed by his friend from his days in the British Army, Haultain.[5]
Nixon monument
Soon after his death, discussions began in relation to the erection of a monument in his memory. By May 1865, land at Ōtāhuhu, south of Auckland, had been acquired for the monument, which was to be based on the Wallace Monument in Scotland. The monument, which stands at the intersection of Mangere and Great South roads, was completed and formally unveiled in 1868. Several compromises had been made in its design and construction; it was now much simpler in appearance and stone from Hobart, in Tasmania, was used instead of being sourced from Oamaru, as originally intended.[12] It was suggested that some of the funds raised for the monument go towards the care of his sisters.[13] The following year, the New Zealand Government granted the sisters an annual pension of £150.[12]
On Anzac Day in 1968, Nixon's remains were moved from Symonds Street Cemetery and re-interred to the base of the monument.[12] In recent years, there have been controversial calls for the removal of the monument.[14]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Barber, Laurie. "Nixon, Marmaduke George". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- ^ a b "Death of Colonel Nixon". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. 1, no. 169. 28 May 1864. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ a b c McGibbon 2000, p. 374.
- ^ a b Mackintosh 2021, pp. 100–101, 106–107.
- ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 223.
- ^ a b c McGibbon 2000, pp. 387–388.
- ^ a b O'Malley 2016, p. 283.
- ^ a b c O'Malley 2016, pp. 291–293.
- ^ O'Malley 2016, pp. 294–295.
- ^ O'Malley 2016, pp. 300–301.
- Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XX, no. 2115. 30 April 1864. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d Cameron, Karen; Green, David. "Nixon memorial, Ōtāhuhu". New Zealand History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- Daily Southern Cross. Vol. 20, no. 2167. 30 June 1864. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "Removing monument to colonial commander who led attacks in NZ Wars like 'burying our heads in the sand' professor says". Stuff. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
References
- ISBN 978-1-988587-33-2.
- ISBN 0-19-558376-0.
- O'Malley, Vincent (2016). The Great War for New Zealand: Waikato 1800–2000. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books. ISBN 9781927277546.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.