| Date of birth | 19/09/1795 |
| Date of death | 03/11/1850 |
Arabella Robinson, eldest sister of Captain Francis Robinson was born at Sunderland on 19th September, 1795. She married John Best of the East India’s Civil Service at Bombay on 2nd June, 1816. Their son John Maitland must have been born in 1818. His father John died in 1825. It is not known when Arabella returned to England but she remarried in 1833, a clergyman named Richanrd Skipsey and apparently spent the rest of her life at Bishop Wearmouth.
John Best probably arrived in New Zealand in 1845. In April, 1845 Rev. Richard Taylor noted in his diary that there was no medical man in the Manawatu area – in fact none between Wellington and Wanganui but in February, 1846, the Wellington Independent newspaper reported that James Small, “in the service of Mr. Best a settler on the Manawatu”, had drowned in the Ohau River. At this stage Best would have been assisting his uncle Captain Francis Robinson with his cattle farming operations – Robinson married in 1845 and built his home on the bank of the Manawatu River to the west of the settlement of Te Awahou. Best’s house was half a mile from Robinson’s.
J.G. Wilson in “Early Rangitikei” says “The first tenant of the land south of Makowhai and Carnarvon district was Dr. Best. The land was leased from Hakeke, Hunia’s father and extended as far east as Taikorea Trig Station”. He dated this as 1847.
Donald McLean in his journal (13th March, 1848) says “Kawana Kakeke of Rangitikei has erected a house for Dr. Best who intends having a cattle station there”. In July 1848, in a letter to Lt. Governor Eyre, Donald McLean states “Rangihaeata with about 60 followers came in the early part of last week to a station which has been formed by Dr. Best at Rangitikei and having removed the goods out of the house, he burnt it down”.
Prior to this John Best took a Maori wife believed to have been named Konera Hunia and a daughter was born. She was named Matilda (Matiara). Perhaps they lived together at the Rangitikei station.
However it is recorded at the Rangiatea Church, Otaki that on 3rd June, 1848, Best married the widow Ann Maria Barnett. One of the witnesses was Henry Morshead Symons who was to be her third husband. John and Ann Maria had no children.
Rev. Richard Taylor did not have a high opinion of Dr. Best describing him as a young man of good family, fortune and ability but a confirmed drunkard and very obscene mind. Donald McLean had a somewhat better opinion – he says “Dr. Best, a man of extensive reading and professional ability, is an excellent companion in the bush. His previous life was that of a spendthrift. He lost £15,000 gambling before he came to this country and at races here he has spent some hundreds”.
In August, 1850, McLean suggested to the Colonial Secretary that because there was no licensed house at Manawatu, a bush licence be granted to Dr. Best “providing he will employ a respectable married couple to conduct the house. Dr. Best’s house is conveniently situated and he is on good terms with the natives”. Best’s death on 3rd November apparently prevented this idea from being put into operation. Perhaps this licence was later granted to Henry Morshead Symons who later married Best’s widow.
Rev. Richard Taylor records Best’s death this: Best had been at Waikanae for the confinement of Mrs. Durie, wife of the Resident Magistrate, but on his way home he became drunk and fell into the Manawatu River. This wetting sobered him up for a while but as soon as he had changed into dry clothes he resumed drinking and became very sick. Turning to his medical supplies he gave himself a dose of laudanum (a solution of powdered opium with alcohol and water) and dropped dead shortly afterwards. He died on a Sunday and was buried by his uncle the following morning.
He is buried in the old cemetery at Foxton known as Ihakara Gardens.
Note: In Ward’s “Early Wellington” a Captain Best is recorded as having arrived during 1843 on the “North Star”. Should this happen to be John Maitland, it supports the belief of Robinson descendants that he was trained as an army surgeon. Further research will be done.
Referencing:
When referencing this book please use the following:
Pioneers of Foxton : Book Two. p2. [Foxton, N.Z.] : Foxton Historical Society, 1989.