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Walter Mantell

Walter Mantell
MLC
portrait of a man about 50 years old with beard and glasses
Mantell in ca 1870
3rd Minister of Māori Affairs
In office
July 1861 – December 1861
Prime Minister William Fox
In office
December 1864 – July 1865
Prime Minister Frederick Weld
Postmaster-General
In office
August 1862 – August 1862
Prime Minister Alfred Domett
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Wallace
In office
1861 – 1866
Personal details
Born (1820-03-11)11 March 1820
Lewes,
England
Died 7 September 1895(1895-09-07) (aged 75)
Wellington,
New Zealand
Spouse(s) Mary Sarah Prince (m. 1869; d. 1873)
Jane Hardwick (m. 1876)
Relations Gideon Mantell (father)

Walter Baldock Durrant Mantell (11 March 1820 – 7 September 1895) was a 19th-century New Zealand scientist, politician, and land purchase commissioner. He was a founder and first secretary of the New Zealand Institute, and a collector of moa remains.

Mantell was born in Lewes, East Sussex, England, the son of geologists Gideon Mantell and Mary Ann Mantell. He arrived in Wellington on the Oriental in 1840.

In 1848, Mantell was appointed to the office of commissioner for extinguishing native titles in the South Island.

Mantell left New Zealand as he did not feel right about trying to convince the indigenous Māori people to undersell their land and returned to England in 1856, where he met Geraldine Jewsbury, a woman eight years his senior. When in New Zealand, the Maori people called Mantell "Matara" (meaning chief in Māori) because they had a difficult time pronouncing his name; Jewsbury used this as a nickname for Mantell. When Mantell was in England he had difficulty finding work. He became restless at home as well as a tendency to act as a hypochondriac. Jewsbury encouraged him to write for the Westminster Gazette or to write a novel about New Zealand. Mantell eventually became tired of his friend's persistent advice. Jewsbury, however, wanted what was best for Mantell and felt deeply attached to him; she once proposed marriage to Mantell in a letter, but he declined her offer. By 1859 Jewsbury had ceased trying to win his love. Shortly thereafter, Mantell returned to New Zealand.

Mantell represented the Wallace electorate from 1861 to 1866, when he retired. He was the Minister of Māori Affairs in 1861 and 1864–65, and Postmaster-General briefly in 1862.

From 1866 until his death he was on the New Zealand Legislative Council.

He died in Wellington on 7 September 1895.


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