Thomas Kendall

Thomas Kendall (* 1778 in North Thoresby, Lincolnshire, England; † August 1832 in Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia) was an English missionary and linguist, who settled in the mission of the Church Missionary Society ( CMS) in New Zealand, where the first Victorian like Sunday schools founded in 1815 and the first dictionary of Māori English published.

Life and work

Early years

Thomas Kendall was baptized on 13 December 1778 in North Thoresby in the English county of Lincolnshire. Although his date of birth is unknown, his birth year may be adopted by 1778 than likely. His father, Edward Kendall married, late a much younger woman, Susanna Surfit (or Sorflitt ). Thomas was probably the fifth child of seven in the family and was brought up religiously by his mother.

At the age of 14 he left home to find work. He found a job with a lawyer, he lived in the family too. A year later he became a teacher at a village school in Immingham, Lincolnshire. William Myers, the vicar of the village, was impressed by his intelligence and advised him to study theology and Latin. At 18, Kendall followed his tutor Myers to North Somercotes in Lincolnshire and assisted him in school. In addition, 15 acres farmland for managing it were available.

On November 21, 1803, he married Jane Quick case in Kirmington, Lincolnshire. They had nine children. Kendall was a grocer and a freelance textile merchant in North Thoresby, but it could not feed his family. A speculative transaction following, he traveled to London in November 1805, where he came into contact with Reverend Basil Woodd, a prominent representative of the revival movement.

London

Inspired by Woodd 's messages, he sold his business in January 1806 and went with his family to London, where he became a follower of Bentinck Chapel church and there supposedly learned his rebirth. The family income he earned as a teacher.

In deep rooted religious and directed by marked by illusions, ideals, Kendall competed in 1808 at the Church Mission Society ( CMS) in order to be settlers in New Zealand as a missionary can. Samuel Marsden, chaplain and representatives of the CMS from New South Wales was able to convince the CMS of the sense of a mission project in New Zealand and traveled in August 1809 with William Hall and John King, but without Kendall, back to Sydney to tackle the project in New Zealand.

Kendall was instead instructed to familiarize themselves with the new teaching methods of the Church Mission Society, based on ideas from Andrew Bell and Joseph Lancaster, familiar. Kendall by May 1813 continue as a teacher until he was given permission to travel.

New Zealand

In Sydney arrived, Kendall had to wait with his family of seven until 14 March 1814 to Samuel Marsden, the head of the mission project, brought him finally to New Zealand. On June 10, arrived in the Bay of Islands, Kendall Hall and the two met Hongi Hika Māori chiefs, leader of the Ngapuhi Iwi and his nephew Ruatara representative of Hikutu Hapu.

Accompanied by the Māori Chiefs Hongi Hika, Ruatara, Korokoro and Tui they traveled to Sydney to meet with Marsden on 22 August back. After Marsden was with the Chiefs about the mission project and the possibility of trading reached an agreement, Kendall, Hall could travel along with John King headed by Marsden on 28 November 1814 New Zealand. With the approval of the Governor of New South Wales and under the protection of Hongi Hika two Chiefs, Ruatara Marsden opened in December 1814 in the northern Bay of Islands the first mission station and Kendall was its director. Previously, Governor Lachlan Macquarie had appointed him, with effect on 12 November 1814 Justice of the Peace ( Magistrate ) for New Zealand.

Kendall studied at the language of Māori from the beginning and was 1815 in Sydney a simple vocabulary and textbook under the title "A korao no New Zealand - New Zealand 's first book " out. On August 12, 1816, he opened in the Rangihoua Bay with 33 students a first school, but had to close due to lack of support the end of 1818 again.

In 1818 he sent a manuscript of his ongoing language research to Church Mission Society in London. However, Professor Samuel Lee Oriental linguist at Cambridge University and former protégé of CMS had doubts about the accuracy of Kendall's records.

Then traveled Kendal Hongi Hika and Waikato in 1820, Chief of Rangihaua unauthorized to London. Despite the disapproval by the CMS Kendall got wide recognition and attention. Together with the Māori Chiefs made ​​to Professor Lee, and he is a dictionary of the Maori language. The work was published in the same year under the name "A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of New Zealand" by the CMS in London.

On November 12, 1820, still during his stay in London, Bishop Ely appointed him priests for New Zealand. Hongi Hika and Waikato were presented to King George IV and the painter James Barry portrayed Kendall together with the two Māori Chiefs.

In July 1821 Kendall returned to New Zealand. While it still shared a friendship with Hongi Hika, but when he lost the European settlers watching the recognition and support. In the course of Musketenkriege he advocated the arms trade, at which he was personally involved. Kendall had an affair with Rakau, the 17-year -old daughter of Rangihoua end of 1821. Although he ended the relationship in April, 1822, Kendall for Samuel Marsden and the Church Mission Society was no longer viable. The affair, the arms trade, the tensions between him and the other missionaries, and his letters to the CMS, in which he explained his views on mythology and worldview of Māori, found in August 1822 by his dismissal to an end. Marsden, who had him brought the dismissal itself, Kendall tried to move out of the country. Kendall but remained and moved to Matahui in the southern part of the Bay of Islands District.

Despite his release, he sent 1822-1824 continue seven letters, some drawings and three deliveries with Māori carvings on the Church Mission Society in London. Lack of recognition and the fact that his family was socially isolated, Kendall was on the lookout for a change.

Chile and New South Wales

At the time a job as a clerk in the British Consulate advertised in Valparaíso, he mounted a successful campaign and went with his family in February 1825 after Chile. He worked among others there as a tutor for the children of the consul and the unofficial pastor to the UK local community. But his health, coupled with the climatic conditions in 1827 Chile forced him again to leave. He went with his family to New South Wales, but Basil, his second son remained.

Kendall got the rights to 1280 acres of land on Narrawallee Creek near Ulladulla and got into the trade with a cedar in Sydney. In addition, he continued to work on the study of the Maori language, but Marsden prevented any attempt to successfully publications.

Kendall drowned August 1832 in the sinking of his ship. The schooner Brisbane capsized in the Jervis Bay. The family stayed in Ulladulla. His son Thomas Surfleet Kendall had there also land ownership. His second son Basil was the father of the Australian poet Henry Kendall ( 1839-1882 ).

Works

• Thomas Kendall: A korao no New Zealand - New Zealand 's first book. printed by G. Howe, Sydney 1815 ( Kendall's book was a vocabulary and beginning textbook for the Maori language. He wrote it in English and Italian. were it printed 200 copies. ).
• Thomas Kendall, Samuel Lee: A Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of New Zealand. Church Missionary Society, London, 1820.