Von Tempsky, One Of The British Soldiers During The Taranaki War, 1860s to 1858. Part 1

in history •  5 years ago 

Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky was born at Königsberg (Kaliningrad), East Prussia, on 15 February 1828.

Image Source

He was the younger son of Julius Louis von Tempsky and his wife, Karoline Henriette Friederike Wilhelmine von Studnitz.

Gustavus von Tempsky came from a Prussian military family and was expected to follow the example of his forebears.
He attended the junior cadet school at Potsdam and the cadet school at Berlin.

These institutions concentrated mainly on military subjects, but students also received a thorough grounding in the Classics, modern languages, history, geography, drawing and music.

On leaving school in 1845 Tempsky joined his father's regiment but served for only nine months.

In May 1846 he left Prussia for the Mosquito Coast of Central America, where a colonisation society was intent on founding a Prussian settlement.

The Mosquito Kingdom had been established with British support before the arrival of the Prussian colonists, and when it came under attack from Nicaraguan forces Tempsky saw action for the first time as an officer in the local militia.

A facile linguist, Tempsky had an excellent command of English and was a constant visitor to the British settlement at Bluefields.

Image Source

Here he met Emelia Ross Bell, the daughter of James Stanislaus Bell, a British government official.

Although five years Emelia Bell's junior, Tempsky intended to marry her.

However, James Bell did not approve of the match, probably because of Tempsky's youth and his lack of prospects.

When news of the Californian gold rush reached Bluefields in 1849, Tempsky set out for San Francisco, arriving in July 1850.

Image Source

He failed to make his fortune on the diggings, but while in California he became proficient in the use of the bowie knife, a weapon he is said to have introduced to New Zealand.

Image Source

In July 1853, in the company of a German doctor, Tempsky decided to return to Bluefields through Mexico, Guatemala and San Salvador.

The pair experienced a number of exciting adventures on the 18-month journey.

Tempsky kept a record of these events, which later formed the substance of his book, Mitla, published in London in 1858 and illustrated with his own watercolours.

On his return to Bluefields, Tempsky married Emelia Bell, on 9 July 1855, her father having apparently relented.

Randal, their first child, was born at Bluefields in May 1856.

For a while, Tempsky supervised the cutting of mahogany stands.


Image Source

By early 1857 the British position on the Mosquito Coast had become untenable and the Tempskys left for Scotland, Emelia von Tempsky's birthplace.

They spent a year there, during which time Tempsky visited his parents in Prussia and made arrangements for the publication of his book.

Their second son, Louis, was born in Glasgow in February 1858.

In August 1858 Tempsky and his family arrived in Australia, where one of Emelia's sisters was living.

He worked on the Bendigo diggings and at a variety of other occupations.

Image Source

He also applied for the leadership of an expedition being formed to explore the interior of Victoria but was passed over in favour of Robert O'Hara Burke who, along with his co-leader, William John Wills, and three others, perished in the desert.

Having failed to make money in Australia, Tempsky was lured to New Zealand by the prospects offered on the Coromandel goldfield.

Image Source

He arrived at Auckland aboard the barque Benjamin Heape on 10 March 1862.

His wife and three children (a daughter, Lina, was born in October 1859) followed later. Tempsky spent about a year working at the Coromandel field.

Letters which he wrote to the Daily Southern Cross describing activities on the diggings so impressed the editor that Tempsky was appointed Coromandel correspondent.

His gold mining venture, however, was unprofitable.

The outbreak of hostilities in Waikato in 1863 led to the formation of volunteer units to supplement British regiments.

Tempsky offered to raise a corps from the diggers but the government rejected his offer, possibly because of his nationality.

He then transferred his attention to the Forest Rangers, an irregular colonial force which the authorities believed could match the bush fighting skills of the Maori.

Info From

Also

The first of the below posts has a list of the previous posts of Maori Myths and Legends

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-war-was-declared-between-tainui-and-arawa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-of-manaia-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-hatupatu-and-his-brothers

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/hatupatu-and-his-brothers-part-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-the-emigration-of-turi-an-ancestor-of-wanganui

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-continuing-legend-of-turi

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/turi-seeks-patea

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-manaia-and-why-he-emigrated-to-new-zealand

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-love-story-of-hine-moa-the-maiden-of-rotorua

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-te-kahureremoa-found-her-husband

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-continuing-story-of-te-kahureremoa-s-search-for-a-husband

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-magical-wooden-head

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-art-of-netting-learned-from-the-fairies

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-kanawa-s-adventure-with-a-troop-of-fairies

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-loves-of-takarangi-and-rau-mahora

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/puhihuia-s-elopement-with-te-ponga

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-story-of-te-huhuti

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-trilogy-of-wahine-toa-woman-heroes

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-modern-maori-story

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/hine-whaitiri

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/whaitere-the-enchanted-stingray

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/turehu-the-fairy-people

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kawariki-and-the-shark-man

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/awarua-the-taniwha-of-porirua

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/hami-s-lot-a-modern-story

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-unseen-a-modern-haunting

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-death-leap-of-tikawe-a-story-of-the-lakes-country

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/paepipi-s-stranger

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-story-of-maori-gratitude

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/by-the-waters-of-rakaunui-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/by-the-waters-of-rakaunui-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/bt-the-waters-of-rakaunui-3

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/bt-the-waters-of-rakaunui-4

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-ake-s-revenge-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-ake-s-revenge-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-ake-s-revenge-3

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-ake-s-revenge-4

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/some-of-the-caves-in-the-centre-of-the-north-island

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-man-eating-dog-of-the-ngamoko-mountain

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-story-from-mokau-in-the-early-1800s

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/new-zealand-s-atlantis

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-cave-dwellers-of-rotorua

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kawa-mountain-and-tarao-the-tunneller

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-fragrant-leaf-s-rock

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-from-the-waikato-river

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/uneuku-s-judgment

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/at-the-rising-of-kopu-venus

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/harehare-s-story-from-the-rangitaiki

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/how-the-art-of-wood-carving-was-passed-from-te-apanui-to-wepiha

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/another-way-of-passing-power-to-the-successor

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/matakite-the-gift-of-second-sight-and-some-of-the-recorded-times-it-has-been-used

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-cave-of-wairaka

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-of-how-mount-tauhara-got-to-where-it-is-now

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/te-ana-o-tuno-hopu-s-cave

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/stories-of-an-enchanted-valley-near-rotorua

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/utu-a-maori-s-revenge

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/where-tangihia-sailed-away-to

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-curse-on-te-waru-s-new-house

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-fall-of-the-virgin-s-island

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-first-day-of-removing-the-tapu-on-te-waru-s-new-house

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-maori-detective-story

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-second-day-of-removing-the-tapu-on-te-waru-s-new-house

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-story-of-a-maori-heroine

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-from-old-kawhia

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-stealing-of-an-atua-god

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/maungaroa-and-some-of-its-legends

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-mokia-tarapunga

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-memory-of-maketu

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-from-the-taupo-region

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-of-the-taniwha-slayers

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-witch-trees-of-the-kaingaroa

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/there-were-giants-in-that-land

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-from-old-rotoiti

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-lagoons-of-the-tuna-eels

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-legend-of-takitimu

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/the-white-chief-of-the-oouai-tribe

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/tane-mahuta-the-soul-of-the-forest

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/a-tale-of-maori-magic

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-s-1

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-s-2

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-s-3

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-4

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-5

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-6

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-7

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-8

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-9

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-10

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-11

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-12

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-13

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-14

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-15

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-16

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-17

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-18

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-19

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-20

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-21

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-22

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-23

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-24

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-25

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-26

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-27

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-28

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-29

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-30

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-31

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-32

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-33

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-34

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-35

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-36

https://steemit.com/history/@len.george/kimble-kimball-bent-an-unusual-european-who-deserted-the-british-army-and-joined-the-hau-hau-37

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner

Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!
Sort Order:  

Ha! A son born in Glasgow! Smashing

He was more productive than some other Glaswegians that I have heard of.
He would have made a great Uncle Boom.

Productive is the very definition of a Glaswegian!

The Good Lady must be from a long way away then, I wouldn't call 2 kids that productive.
She should come to NZ, my boss is the oldest of 12, which wasn't that unusual.
(Good catholics, no TV)

12!?!! I can't even speak at the thought!!

as the old joke says "Put some more men on the job"
[if they are Kiwi's you will have lots. they can breed like rabbits]

Lol!

Congratulations @len.george! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :

You got more than 5750 replies. Your next target is to reach 6000 replies.

You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

You can upvote this notification to help all Steem users. Learn how here!

Thanks for keeping track of things for all of us.