Edward Jerningham Wakefield (1820 - 1879)

Born 25 Jun 1820 in London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen (Roe) Sherlock — married 3 Oct 1863 in Riccarton, Canterbury, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 3 Mar 1879 at age 58 in Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand

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Biography

Jerningham Wakefield is Notable.

Jerningham Wakefield migrated from England to New Zealand.

Edward Jerningham Wakefield (25 June 1820 – 3 March 1879), known as Jerningham Wakefield, was the only son of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. As such, he was closely associated with his father's interest in colonisation.

He worked for the New Zealand Company and later was a member of the Canterbury Association.

He was active as a politician in New Zealand, both at national and provincial level, but became an alcoholic and died penniless in an old people's home.^[1]

History books commonly write nasty pieces about Jerningham. In his young days and early business practices he comes across as a man with a great future.

Rarely do they mention his illness - TB.

Maybe society thought it better to promote him as an alcoholic than say he was ailing, like his sister with TB. Back then there was a social stigma with this illness. "Only weak families carried this diease" and many Doctors thought it was genetic. It was a family secret in many families.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia article

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 1,042,310.

• NZ Death record: 1879/1756

• Adventure in New Zealand, from 1839 to 1844; with some account of the beginning of the British colonization of the islands, by Wakefield, Edward Jerningham; John Murray; London; 1845.