Hohepa Kopiri, Died before 1867
Below is an online version, from Nga Tupuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Volume 3 (2005), of the biography for Hohepa Kopiri, reproduced with the kind permission of his whānau.
Published Text
"Hohepa Kopiri". In Nga tupuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara, volume 3. (2005)
It is said by whanau that Joseph Phillips arrived in New Zealand during the early 1800's and that he lived with, and was adopted by, a local Maori family, changing his name to Hohepa Kopiri. He lived as a Pakeha-Maori and is mentioned in the book The Taranaki wars, during the battle against Tainui, in 1832.
Land court records show Hohepa Kopiri as belonging to the Ngati Puketapu and Ngati Tuaho hapu of the Te Ati Awa iwi. He was possibly whangai to Rangiripoa whose parents were Koa and Te Ikahore. Joseph Phillips may have been one of the 11 European traders and whalers who helped defend Otaka Pa in February 1832. Hohepa Kopiri married Mere Moko (Mere Rii, Mere Ngahuia) who belonged to Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa.
Hohepa Kopiri had four children: Hemi Ngauru, who died 9 February 1878, Tare Ruka Hohepa, who died 12 August 1898, Enoka Hohepa Taitea (1842 - 16 August 1900, who was born at Parororangi, Wellington), and Raima Hohepa (Raima Hone) (1847? - 31 December 1907). Neither Hemi nor Raima had children of their own but Raima adopted Enoka's son Hemi Enoka Taitea and he lived with his aunt for about 30 years.
Tare Ruka who married Wikitoria Te Hunahuna left 10 children to succeed him. They were Whareiti Ruka born 19.7.1874, Tamati Ruka born 26.1.1877, Enoka Taitea Ruka Hohepa born 12.12.1879, Hematini Ruka Hohepa born 17.9.1880, Hone Ruka Hohepa born 12.12.1882, Miriama Ruka Hohepa born 26.5.1885, Meri Ruka Hohepa born 25.7.1886, Hopa Ruka Hohepa born 14.6.1890, Hohepa Ruka born 14.5.1892 and Tare Ruka Tamati Hohepa born 3.2.1897. Enoka, whose wife was called Hematini Enoka (Hematini Putiki), had one son Hemi and one daughter Ani Enoka (Ani Love).
At least three of Hohepa Kopiri's sisters came to live at Port Nicholson. They were Heremaia Te Awhi (Heremaia Paora) and Mihi Korama Te Rapa who died about 1868 at Petone. Mihi married Te Rei Pukekura (Te Rehe died in the 1850s), who went to Arapawa Island with Parata Nuku. Te Rei was the brother of Haneta Toea. Hatarete Pokai (Atarete) who died on 28 June 1884 at Waikanae was another sister. She was the wife of Ngake.
Hohepa Kopiri migrated from Taranaki with Ngati Hamua and went to live in the Arapawa until 1837. He then returned to live at Petone and Pipitea with the Te Matehou after Moturoa came back from Wairarapa. Hohepa Kopiri signed the Treaty in Port Nicholson in April 1840. Hohepa Kopiri was closely related to Neta Toea. So his surviving children inherited an interest in a share of her land holdings at Waikawa in the Marlborough Sounds together with Hematini Enoka and the Heberleys through Mata Te Naihi. Hohepa Kopiri also had rights in the Araheke M block in Taranaki.
In 1867 when the ownership of the sections in the survey of Pipitea Pa were recorded, four of Hohepa Kopiri's children and two of his sisters claimed section number 5. They were Hemi Ngauru, Tare Ruka, Enoka Taitea, Raima Hohepa and his sisters Atarete Pokai, and Mihi Te Rapa, who died about 1868 at Petone. Atareta Pokai and Mihi Te Rapa left no children.
Section no.4 was awarded to Meri Pawa, the widow of Parata Nuku, and her descendents. Meri Pawa was a cousin of Hohepa Kopiri. Parata Nuku had originally been given the land by Hohepa because Hare Parata's sister was living with Hemi Ngauru for a period.
When Tare Ruka Hohepa died his land interests included Awaroa, and Tauparaha no 2 in the Wairarapa, Araheke M in Taranaki, and Wiremutaone, Orongorongo B and Orangi Kaupapa 13 in the Port Nicholson Block.
Hohepa Kopiri died before 1867.
References:
- WMB no.1 p.47-48, 129, 168, 170
- WMB no.10 p.1A, 2-3, 3-5 List of Tare Ruka's children
- WMB no.14 p.279
- WMB no.16A p.119-121
- WMB no.16 p.90-98, 99-104
- Taranaki MB no.3, 343
- Wairarapa MB no.1 p.15, 22-34, 36-41, 47-48 Nelson MB no.1 p.149 whakapapa
- E-mail J. Stratton 4.4.05
(WMB = Wellington Minute Book; MB = Minute Book)
I Te Reo Māori -
E ai ki te whānau ka tae mai a Joseph Phillips ki Aotearoa i te tīmatanga o te rautau 1800, ka noho, ka riro hei whāngai mā tētahi whānau Māori o te takiwā, i huri ai tōna ingoa ko Hohepa Kopiri. Ka ora ia hei 'Pakeha-Maori' e ai hoki ki te pukapuka The Taranaki wars, i ngā pakanga o 1832 ki a Tainui.
E ai ki ngā rekoata a te Kōti Whenua Māori nō ngā hapū o Ngāti Puketapu me Ngāti Tuaho o Te Ati Awa a Hohepa Kopiri. Hei whāngai pea ia mā Rangiripoa te tamaiti a Koa rāua ko Te Ikahore. Tērā pea ko Joseph Phillips tētahi o ngā pākehā hokohoko, whaiwhai wēra, i hāpai te hautū o te pā o ōtaka i te marama o Pēpuere 1832. Ka moe a Hōhepa Kōpiri i a Mere Moko (Mere Rii, Mere Ngahuia) nō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa.
Tokowhā ngā tamariki a Hōhepa Kōpiri: Ko Hēmi Ngauru, i mate nei i te 9 o Pēpuere 1878, ko Tare Ruka Hōhepa, i mate nei i te 12 o Akuhata 1898, ko Enoka Hōhepa Taitea (1842 - 16 o Akuhata 1900, i whānau mai rā ki Parororangi, Pōneke), ko Raima Hōhepa (Raima Hone) (1847? - 31 o Tihema 1907). Kāhore he tamariki a Hēmi rāua ko Raima ake, heoi riro ana te tama a Enoka ko Hēmi Enoka Taitea hei whāngai mā tana whaea kēkē mā Raima mō te 30 tau.
10 ngā tamariki ka mahue i a Tare Ruka rāua ko Wikitoria Te Hunahuna. Ko Whareiti Ruka i whānau i te tau 19.7.1874, ko Tamati Ruka i whānau i te tau 26.1.1877, ko Enoka Taitea Ruka Hohepa i whānau mai i te 12.12.1879, ko Hematini Ruka Hōhepa i whānau mai i te 17.9.1880, ko Hone Ruka Hōhepa i whānau mai i te12.12.1882, ko Miriama Ruka Hōhepa i whānau mai i te 26.5.1885, ko Meri Ruka Hōhepa i whānau mai i te 25.7.1886, ko Hopa Ruka Hōhepa i whānau mai i te 14.6.1890, ko Hōhepa Ruka i whānau mai i te 14.5.1892 ko Tāre Ruka Tāmati Hōhepa i whānau mai i te 3.2.1897. Ko Hematini Enoka (Hematini Putiki) te wahine a Enoka, kotahi tā rāua tama ko Hēmi kotahi te kōtiro ko Ani Enoka (Ani Love).
Kāore i iti iho i te tokotoru ngā tuahine o Hohepa Kopiri i haere mai ki Pōneke noho ai. Ko Heremaia Te Awhi (Heremaia Paora) ko Mihi Korama Te Rapa i mate ki Pitoone i te tau 1868. Ka moe a Mihi i a Te Rei Pukekura (ka mate a Te Rehe i ngā tau o te 1850), ka heke atu ki te moutere o Aropawa rāua ko Parata Nuku. Hei tungāne a Te Rei nō Haneta Toea. He tuahine anō hoki a Hatarete Pōkai (Atarete) i mate nei i te 28 o Hune 1884 ki Waikanae. Koia nei te wahine a Ngake.
Ka heke mai a Hohepa Kōpiri i Taranaki i a Ngāti Hāmua ki Aropawa noho ai ki te tau 1837. Katahi ka hoki ki Pitoone me Pipitea noho tahi ai me Te Matehou i te hokinga mai o Moturoa i Wairarapa. Nā Hohepa Kopiri te Tiriti i haina ki Pōneke i te marama o Aperira 1840. He whanaunga tata a Hohepa Kopiri rāua ko Neta Toea. Nō reira riro ana i ana tamariki ētahi pānga whenua o te kuia nā ki Waikawa i Tōtaranui (Marlborough Sounds) rātou ko Hematini Enoka ko ngā Heberley hoki i a Mata Te Naihi. He pānga hoki o Hohepa Kōpiri ki te poraka whenua Araheke M ki Taranaki.
Nō te tau 1867 i te rūringa o Pipitea Pa, tokowhā ngā tamariki a Hohepa Kopiri rātou ko ngā tamariki tokorua a tōna tuahine i kerēme i te pānga nama 5. Ko Hēmi Ngauru, ko Tāre Ruka, ko Enoka Taitea, ko Raima Hōhepa me ōna tuāhine a ātarete Pōkai, rāua ko Mihi Te Rapa, i mate nei i te tau 1868 ki Pitoone. Kāhore hoki he tamariki a ātareta Pōkai rāua ko Mihi Te Rapa.
Ka riro te pānga whenua nama 4 i a Meri Pawa, te pouaru o Parata Nuku, ā, me ōna uri. Hei whanaunga anō a Meri Pawa ki a Hohepa Kopiri. He mea tuku ki a Parata Nuku i te tuatahi, e Hohepa nā te noho atu a te tuahine o Hare Parata rāua ko Hēmi Ngauru.
Nō te matenga o Tare Ruka Hōhepa ko ōna whenua ko Awaroa, ko Tauparaha nama 2 i Wairarapa, Araheke M i Taranaki, me Wiremutāone, ōrongorongo B me ōrangi Kaupapa 13 i te poraka o Pōneke.
Ka mate nei a Hōhepa Kōpiri i mua i te tau 1867.