William Henry Valpy
Encyclopedia
William Henry Valpy was a noted early settler of Dunedin
, New Zealand
. He is sometimes referred to locally as "The father of Saint Clair", as he was the first settler in the area now occupied by the suburb of Saint Clair
.
Valpy was the son of English educationalist Richard Valpy
, and the younger brother of Abraham John Valpy
. Valpy spent much of his early life in Calcutta, where he worked as a judge. He retired to England in 1836, but poor health prompted him to emigrate with his family to healthier climes. He arrived in the new settlement of Otago in early 1849, only one year after its founding.
At the time he was regarded as the wealthiest man in the colony. Valpy was the first settler in the south Dunedin area, with two large farm properties he named "Caversham" and "The Forbury" after places connected with his family in and around the town of Reading
, in the English
county of Berkshire
. The names still survive as the names of Dunedin's suburbs of Caversham
and Forbury, and a road in the suburb of Saint Clair close to the former site of the Forbury estate buildings is named Valpy Street. These farms were important sources of employment for many of the new community, as was Valpy's construction of a road linking the properties with the heart of the city. This road formed the basis of several arterial routes still in use in Dunedin.
Valpy was heavily involved in local politics, though his Anglican English background came under strenuous attack from the Scottish Presbyterian community of early Dunedin. The strain of this conflict, along with Valpy's continuing poor health, took their toll, and Valpy died in Dunedin in September 1852, only three and a half years after he had arrived in New Zealand.
Valpy and his wife had several children, among them daughters Catherine Henrietta Elliot Valpy Fulton, a social reformer, and artist Ellen Penelope Valpy Jeffreys.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He is sometimes referred to locally as "The father of Saint Clair", as he was the first settler in the area now occupied by the suburb of Saint Clair
Saint Clair, New Zealand
St Clair is a leafy residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located on the Pacific Ocean coast five kilometres from the city centre on the southwesternmost part of the coastal plain which makes up the southern part of the urban area, and also climbs the slopes of Forbury Hill...
.
Valpy was the son of English educationalist Richard Valpy
Richard Valpy
-Biography:He was born the eldest son of Richard and Catherine Valpy in Jersey. He was sent to schools in Normandy and Southampton, and completed his education at Pembroke College, Oxford. In 1777 he took orders. After holding a mastership at Bury, in 1781 he became head master of Reading grammar...
, and the younger brother of Abraham John Valpy
Abraham John Valpy
Abraham John Valpy was an English printer and publisher.He was the son of the Reading schoolmaster Richard Valpy. He is remembered in connection with two great undertakings in the department of classical literature. These were reissues of Stephanus' Greek Thesaurus, for which E. H...
. Valpy spent much of his early life in Calcutta, where he worked as a judge. He retired to England in 1836, but poor health prompted him to emigrate with his family to healthier climes. He arrived in the new settlement of Otago in early 1849, only one year after its founding.
At the time he was regarded as the wealthiest man in the colony. Valpy was the first settler in the south Dunedin area, with two large farm properties he named "Caversham" and "The Forbury" after places connected with his family in and around the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The names still survive as the names of Dunedin's suburbs of Caversham
Caversham, New Zealand
Caversham is one of the older suburbs of the South Island New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is sited at the western edge of the city's central plain at the mouth of the steep Caversham Valley, which rises to the saddle of Lookout Point...
and Forbury, and a road in the suburb of Saint Clair close to the former site of the Forbury estate buildings is named Valpy Street. These farms were important sources of employment for many of the new community, as was Valpy's construction of a road linking the properties with the heart of the city. This road formed the basis of several arterial routes still in use in Dunedin.
Valpy was heavily involved in local politics, though his Anglican English background came under strenuous attack from the Scottish Presbyterian community of early Dunedin. The strain of this conflict, along with Valpy's continuing poor health, took their toll, and Valpy died in Dunedin in September 1852, only three and a half years after he had arrived in New Zealand.
Valpy and his wife had several children, among them daughters Catherine Henrietta Elliot Valpy Fulton, a social reformer, and artist Ellen Penelope Valpy Jeffreys.