Mere Maro Baker

MERE MARO (Ngati Rauawa) of lower Waima: Mere Maro was the daughter of Hei Tiki and Te Kauporu and was named after the ‘Moremonui’ battle between Ngapuhi and Ngati Whatua in 1807. She was born at Whawharu, Te Taheke in 1807 and married James Holroyd Baker (known as John or to Maori, Haki Paka). James (John) Baker had arrived in New Zealand from Ireland in 1828. He was born in 1794 and died in 1869. This was James’ (John’s) second marriage. A daughter (Elizabeth) by his first wife (name not known) supposedly before he came to New Zealand, was born in 1818. Elisabeth married Thomas Hollingsworth and died in 1854. John and Mere Maro had eight children. One son (Michael) married Patuone and Tamati Waka Nene’s niece Maria, daughter of their sister Tari. John snr and Mere’s eldest son was also named John and was considered to be the second half-caste to be born in the Hokianga, George Clarke being the first. One of their daughters (Catherine, 1844 – 1919) first married John Walters (1840-1870.) Her second marriage was to John Rees Jones in 1875. John Baker (Snr.) came to New Zealand as a surveyor and was also an expert timber dealer. He claimed to have acquired 3,200 acres of land near Rawene sometime in the 1840’s. This is mentioned in ‘Old Land Claims – Hokianga’: in 1838 he built New Zealand’s first Catholic church. Source: https://kaihuvalleyhistory.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/a-journal-th...

edmondsallan - some of the " Baker " family , well known in Rawene .

John Baker
b- 1793- Rawene
m- 1818 - " "
d- 28th July 1869

wife - Mere Maro Koperu -b- 1795- Rawene
d- 1874

Children ( 4 )

John - b- 1830 m 1878 Rawene
Michael Maximus b- 1832 m 1906 ( ? ) " "
Catherine b- 1844 m 1863 " "
Thomas b- 1851 ---d - 1851 " "

John's wife-Maria Bower -b-1832 -m- 1878 - d- 1909
children -
( 7 ) Catherine - 1879 // John Francis -b-1881-// Charlotte-1883 - // Mary -1885 - // Thomas James -b- 1887 - // Ada Maria - 1889- // Michael George -b-1891

Michael Maximus- wife -Maria Munhall -b-1841-m- 1906 - Rawene Children ( 9 )- Annie Venetia -b- 1861- // Ellen -b- 1863- // Joseph -b- 1865 Rebecca-b-1867- // Leah -b- 1869 -// Marrion -b-1871-// Hugh-b-1873-//Maud Elizabeth -b-1875- // William Thomas -b-1877

Catherine -- Husband -- John Walters -b-1842 - Rawene -m-1863- Children- ( 2 ) only known - William -b-1864 -// Emmaline -b-1866

Thomas - Died at birth - 1851