Alfred Domett CMG (1811 - 1887)

Born 20 May 1811 in Camberwell, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Nelson) Domett — married 3 Nov 1856 in Wellington, New Zealand

Died 2 Nov 1887 at age 76 in London, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

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Alfred Domett CMG is Notable.

Alfred Domett CMG migrated from England to New Zealand.

Preceded by 3rd Premier Edward Stafford

Alfred Domett 4th Premier of New Zealand 6 Aug 1862–30 Oct 1863

Succeeded by 5th Premier Frederick Whitaker

Biography

Alfred Domett, CMG (20 May 1811 – 2 November 1887) was an English colonial statesman and poet. He was New Zealand's fourth Premier. He was born in 1811 to Nathaniel and Elizabeth.^[1] His birth was registered at Dr William Library's, a nonconformist Registry , which stated he was Alfred, son of Nat Domett & Elizabeth Curling, was born on 20 May 1811 in the parish of St Giles Camberwell, Surrey, England.^[2]

He was baptised in 1812.^[3] He passed away in 1887.^[4]

His wifes name was Mary and he had a son Alfred Nelson Demott

Victoria University writes: Mr. Alfred Domett , who was born at Camberwell Grove, Surrey, England, on the 20th of May, 1811, matriculated at Cambridge, where he studied for three years at St. John's College, but did not graduate. He travelled in America, Switzerland, and Italy, published a volume of verse, and, was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1841, and became an intimate friend of Robert Brownting, of whose “Waring” he was the original. Mr. Domett arrived in Nelson in 1842, and soon took a responsible position in political affairs. He was appointed Colonial Secretary for the South Island, and in 1851 became Civil Secretary for the whole colony. He then took up the duties of Commissioner of Crown Lands in Hawke's Bay, and subsequently was elected member for Nelson in the House of Representatives. In 1862–3 Mr. Domett was Premier of the colony, and for the next eight years he was occupied in the administration of Crown Lands. He returned to England in 1871 and died in 1887. In the interval he published a number of poetical works, of which “Ranolf and Amohia” is the best known and the most highly esteemed. It is said that Mr. Domett never disclosed himself to his colonial contemporaries as a poet; but “Ranolf and Amohia” has been highly praised by Tennyson and Browning, and other judicious critics, though more for its substance than its form; for it lacks concentration, and, as a literary work, it is more ornate than artistic. Still, as an attempt to idealise the native life of the South Seas, and to depict the beauties of New Zealand in appropriate language, “Ranolf and Amohia” should always possess a surpassing interest for colonial readers; and, in addition to his claims as a poet, Mr. Domett deserves to be held in honourable remembrance as one of the able early administrators and wise pioneer statesmen of New Zealand.

Alfred Dommett, CMG (20 May 1811 – 2 November 1887) was an English colonial statesman and poet. He was New Zealand's fourth Premier. Early life Domett was born at Camberwell Grove, Surrey; the fourth son of Nathaniel Domett,[2] a ship-owner. He entered St John's College, Cambridge,[3] but left the university in 1833.[4] He entered at the Middle Temple, 7 November 1835, and was called to the bar on 19 November 1841.[2]

Poetry Domett published one or two volumes of poetry from 1833, and contributed several poems to Blackwood's Magazine, one of which, A Christmas Hymn, attracted attention. He was called to the bar, but for ten years he lived a life of ease in London, where he became the intimate friend of Robert Browning, of whose poem Waring he was the subject. 'How much I loved him, I find out now I've lost him'. In the poem Browning asks what has become of his friend, but is sure he will gain some fame in far-off lands: ...so I saw the last Of Waring! ... Oh, never star Was lost here but it rose afar! An account of the friendship between the two men appeared in The Contemporary Review for January 1905, by W. H. Griffin.[4] Thereafter, with the approval of Browning's son, Frederick G. Kenyon edited correspondence between and relating to Browning and Domett, after the 1904 auction purchase of the letters by Reginald Smith, head of publishing firm Smith Elder and Co.[5]

Among his books of poetry, Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream (1872), about Māori life, is the best known, and Flotsam and Jetsam (1877) is dedicated to Browning.[4] He continued to write poetry all his life, in the style of rhyming panegyrics such as An Invitation, with its allusions to the sub-tropical flora and threatened inhabitants of countries such as New Zealand: And if weary of mists you will roam undisdaining To a land where the fanciful fountains are raining Swift brilliants of boiling and beautiful spray In the violet splendour of skies that illume Such a wealth of green ferns and rare crimson tree-bloom; Where a people primeval is vanishing fast, With its faiths and its fables and ways of the past: O with reason and fancy unfettered and fearless, Come plunge with us deep into regions of Day—Come away—and away! --" Decadent poet Ernest Dowson was his great-nephew.

In 1842 Domett emigrated to New Zealand, where he filled many important administrative posts, being Colonial Secretary for New Munster Province in 1848,[6] secretary for the colony in 1851, and the fourth Premier of New Zealand from 1862 to 1863.[4][7] He represented the electorate of Nelson, first as the Town of Nelson 1855–1860 and then City of Nelson 1860–1866 (retired).[8] Unusually, as electorates at this time returned multiple members, Domett shared representation of Nelson with Edward Stafford, who had also served as Premier.

The most noteworthy change Domett brought about during his tenure in office was the moving of New Zealand's capital from Auckland to Wellington in 1865. In November 1863 he moved a resolution before Parliament that "it has become necessary that the seat of government... should be transferred to some suitable locality in Cook Strait."[9] He returned to England in 1871 and became a CMG in 1880.[4]

Domett was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 19 June 1866 until 3 July 1874, when his membership lapsed through absence.[10]^[5]

“The Diary of Alfred Dommett 1872-1885” ed E A Horsman 1953 Alfred's father, Nathaniel, "entered the navy at the age of twelve, but left it for the merchant service on the death of his patron in 1781. He prospered, and by 1801 was able to marry Elizabeth, daughter of another shipowner, Robert Curling of Denmark Hill. They settled in Camberwell Grove, Surrey, and there Alfred, the sixth of their nine children was born on 20 May 1811. The district was at this time the resort of fairly well-to-do middle class people - of the Jowetts and the Brownings as well as of Dr Joseph Arnould, whose eldest son was probably [Alfred] Dommett's earliest friend. The Youngs of Limehouse, shipbuilders, had also married inito the Curling family, and the children paid frequent visits to both their grandmother in Denmark Hill and their cousins in Camberwell Grove. The youngest of them has left a brief first-hand record of the Dommett household, that bright, unconventional, if somewhat rough house in the Grove, where there was always such a lively atmosphere of freedom, interest, and gay fun.'^[6] Alfred himself wrote, in his Song for a family party, of ...the house we oft have shaken;" "(House where most of us were born)," "When the dance grew wild and romping," "And we kept it up till morn...; a happy family, it seems, in spite of the death of two of the children at the age of only six, and of their mother in April 1817.

Much more about Alfred can be read in the book detailed below. The introduction, pp 1-45, holds the biographical information used here, the remainder being Dommett's diaries from 1872 to 1855.

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQJ2-6HM : 11 December 2014), Alfred Domett, 20 May 1811, Birth; citing p. 219, Camberwell, St Giles Camberwell, Surrey, record group RG5, Public Record Office, London.
2. ↑ Birth: "England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936"
   The National Archives (United Kingdom); Kew, Surrey, England; General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857; Class Number: RG 4;; Class Number: Rg 5; Piece Number: 118
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 2972 #1940851 (accessed 15 February 2024)
   Alfred Domett born on 20 May 1811, son of Nat Domett & Elizabeth Curling, in St Giles Camberwell, Caneby, Surrey, England.
3. ↑ Baptism
4. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JT1-549 : 31 December 2014), Alfred Domett, 1887; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Kensington, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Domett
6. ↑ Sir Frederick Young, quoted by W Hall Griffin in Robert Browning and Alfred Dommett, Contemporary Review, lxxxvii. 112 (Jan 1905). (Reprinted in The Diary referenced below.)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Domett
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Domett
• Find A Grave: Memorial #244449139
• "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2XL-8K2B : 11 January 2017), Alfred Domett, 1888; citing Auckland, , record number 200, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 100874722.
• "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q273-9YDL : 20 August 2016), Alfred Domett, Kensington, London,Middlesex, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 30, Piece/Folio 41/99, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,322.
• Death notice
• Obituary
• http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc05Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d1-d3.html
• https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1d15/domett-alfred
• “The Diary of Alfred Dommett 1872-1885” ed E A Horsman, Oxford University Press, 1953 (accessed in 2020 by Kathy (Goulstone) Viney through Christchurch City Libraries, NZ).