George Frederick Russell
His house and timber yard is depicted in a watercolour painted by the famous Charles Heaphy in December 1839 which shows Kauri spars being loaded onto ships with his house visible in the background.
He was born on 22 November 1809 in Shoreditch, London and was married to Herina Russell (Nuku and niece of Tamati Waka Nene, a famous Ngapuhi Chief). They had 4 children; Ani, Caroline, Fanny and Frederick. During the 1830s his occupation was a manager and agent for Thomas McDonnell then later became a Sawyer.
He purchased 8 blocks of land mainly in the Waihou-Mangamuka region which was full of Kauri but disposed of them before buying the property in Kohukohu in 1839 of which time he had left McDonnell and trading by himself. His business quickly expanded and and Kohukohu became a bigger timber centre than the Hokianga.
He was a friend and associate of both John Logan Campbell and Frederick Maning, who wrote about him in 1844 "I would have often been puzzled to get on only for my friend Frederick Russell who was a very good man and has lent me many a helping hand". Frederick helped to supply the early Hokianga war parties who were opposing Hone Heke and was later on helpful in preventing the war spreading.
Being small in stature but known to move quickly, he was known to the Maori people as "Piwakawaka" aka Fantail. After he died his business was taken over by John Webster who married Frederick's eldest daughter
On the 27th June 1855 he died aged 46 but newspaper articles do not state what the cause was. His headstone says this:
"Sacred to the memory of George Frederick Russell who died at Hokianga on the 27th day of June 1855 aged 46 years, deeply regretted. This tribute is raised to his memory by his affectionate children".
Information taken from Te Ara.
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