William Fox

William Fox was born at Westoe, Durham, England, 1812 - his mother was Ann Stote Crofton, and his father George Townsend Fox.  He married Sarah Halcomb, 1842.  They emigrated to New Zealand on the the New Zealand Company's ship, "George Fyfe".  At one point he edited the New Zealand Gazette and Spectator.  William became New Zealand Company agent for  Nelson, 1843, and attorney general for the province of New Munster, 1848.  He and Sarah visited England, 1850, then travelled on to Canada, United States and Cuba, returning to New Zealand 1854 ;  he  was elected to House of Representatives, (Whanganui) 1855, worked mostly at his home, Westoe, 1857-1859, was Commissioner of Lands 1859, but returned to politics 1860. In 1861 he defeated Stafford to become premier.  William and Sarah revisited England 1864-1867 and William was again premier 1867-1869, working with Julius Vogel and Donald McLean.  He was knighted 1877 and in the early 1880s he became a member of the West Coast Commission.  William and Sarah moved to Auckland 1887.  Sarah died 1892 and William one year later, 1893.

Note family influences in place names of Crofton [Downs], and Halcomb[e].  

 These are taonga - three precious depictions of  a Māori pā at "Petone" the 1800s 

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William Fox became deeply involved in the Taranaki war and the later West Coast Commission of the 1880s.

William Fox painted many of the places he visited on his travels throughout  New Zealand.  Here is a selection from the thermal area of Rotorua.

Here are three South Island paintings

"The Fox boy" "Ngātau Omahuru, the son of Te Karere and Hinewai Omahuru of Ngā Ruahine in Taranaki, was kidnapped by colonial forces in 1868 during the New Zealand wars, at the age of six. He spent three years in a Wellington hostel before he came to the attention of Premier William Fox and his wife Sarah. Though Ngātau's parents were still alive, the Foxes informally adopted the boy and renamed him William Fox." -- Anne Else, 'Adoption - Māori and colonial adoption', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/26045/ngatau-omahuru-the-fox-boy (accessed 20 May 2020) 

Captain Blewitt's daughter Ani Waaka once accompanied Mrs Halcombe on a visit to Westoe.  Ani's mother, Ani Te Kai and infant brother were killed in a house fire at Rangitikei when  Ani was five years old.  Ani who was educated in Lower Hutt, later returned to Rangitikei, and married Leonard James Durling.  They lived at Pohangina Valley, returning to her mother's land at Raroa, Johnsonville, around the turn of century, 1900.  This land was part of McCleverty's Reserves - set aside for the Ngāti Haumia who lived at Te Aro Pā.