Capt. John Annesley Hickson

Captain and Paymaster of the Londonderry of 16th Regt of Militia. Educated at Ennis Co Clare, Ireland at a private school of which the principal was the Rev Dr Finucane.

On 7th Sept 1812 he was appointed Ensign in the North Cork (or 34th) Regt of Militia of which his father was a major.

His Commission (by purchase) in the Regular Army is dated 25th December 1813 when he joined the Connaught Rangers taking with him 50 men of the North Cork Regt. He served the campaign of 1814 in Canada under Sir George Preoost, and that of 1815 in the Netherlands and France under field Marshall The Duke of Wellington after which he was for some years in the army of Occupation in Paris.

On the death of his father in 1819 he retired on half pay from the 12th Regt of Foot on account of urgent family affairs. At this time he was unfortunate enough to lose his property "The Wilderness", Co Tipperary through the mismanagement of his lawyer.

On 11th November 1824 he joined 73rd Regt as (Tuarkmaster)?? which naturally retarded his promotion but having lost his property and with an increasing family he found it necessary as being more lucrative.

From 1824-27 he was stationed in Ireland. From 1827-29 he was with his Regiment in Gilbraltar, from 1829-34 in Malta, 1834-38 in Ionian Islands, In 1839 he went out to Canada with his Regt for the second time remaining for two and a half years, He then spend several years between England and Ireland when his Regt (the 73rd) being ordered to the Cape of Good Hope, he joined the 31st Regt, and soon after was appointed Staff Officer of Pensioners . In 1847 Captain Hickson was appointed staff Officer of Pensioners at Auckland NZ. He came out to the Colony with his wife and 7 of his children (another was born on arrival) in the barque "Ann" 801 tons in the command of Captain S C Walker, having left Belfast, Ireland in 25th Dec 1847, arriving at Auckland on 16th May 1848.

Captain Hickson bought out 73 pensioners and their wifes and families (the NZ Fencible Corps) The party comprised of 73 men, 66 women and 107 children. He received a grant of land at Otahuhu, Auckland from the Imperial Government and added considerably to this by purchasing adjacent lands besides owning a nice property in the Waikato, all of which property went at his death to his eldest son, Joseph Edward Hickson as heir-at-law. He having died intestate.

Capt Hickson intended settling some of his sons on the land before returning home and rejoining the Regt but he became blind, so remained in Auckland until his death in 1858. He sold out with the rank of Major two months before his demise. He died on 16th March 1858 having issue of nine sons and five daughers

Note: When Auckland became the Capital in 1841 Governor George Grey was determined that the capital would not be attacked, as the first capital Russell had been, and so the Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps was formed. Between 1847 and 1852 large numbers of retired British soldiers, called fencibles, and their families immigrated to Auckland to create a ring of outlying villages to protect the capital. The fencibles made new villages at Howick, Panmure, Otahuhu and Onehunga. Fencibles were retired army soldiers over 5'5" in height, of good character and under the age of 48. They were given free passage to NZ with their families in return for a further 7 years of service (part time), attend church in full uniform every Sunday and a parcel of land and cottage. Many established their own businesses and became successful, respected members of the community. In total 681 fencibles arrived in 10 ships.