William Hobson

Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator who served as the first governor of New Zealand from 1841 to 1842. He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi which he, as Crown representative, and several Maori chiefs signed on 6 February 1840. On 3 May 1840, he proclaimed British sovereignty over New Zealand. He also selected the site for a new capital, which he named Auckland. In May 1841, New Zealand was constituted as a separate Crown colony with Hobson promoted to governor and commander-in-chief. In his final months, Hobson was dogged by poor health which left him detached from political affairs. He died in office in September 1842.

William Hobson was born in Waterford, Kingdom of Ireland, the son of Samuel Hobson, a barrister, and Martha Jones. He grew up in an Anglo-Irish Anglican family and attended a private school.

He enrolled in the Royal Navy as a Volunteer 2nd Class, at Deptford, on 25 August 1803, assigned to HMS Virginie under the command of Captain Sir John Beresford, served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, and was later involved in the suppression of piracy in the Caribbean. He advanced to midshipman in 1806 and seven years later was commissioned first lieutenant on 11 November, 1813.

In September 1822, Nassau merchants provided Admiral Sir Charles Rowley with two sloops to be crewed from HMS Tyne, to cruise against pirates—the Eliza, 40 tons bm armed with one 12-pounder carronade, commanded by Lieutenant Hugh Nurse, with George White, midshipman, and 23–24 men, and Whim, 43 tons bm, commanded by Lieutenant Hobson, with Holloway and Phillips, midshipmen, and 20 men.

Whilst anchored at Cayo Guajaba, in the province of Camagüey, Cuba, on 29 September 1822, Whim was captured by pirate leader Pepe Diablito. The pirates maltreated and starved their Royal Navy captives for several or eight days, by accounts, including placing rope around of Hobson's neck and those of his men with apparent intent to hang them. A cook suffered the worst:

A cry was raised to sacrifice the black cook, a native of Jamaica (and consequently if not an Englishman, one under the protection of the English flag), whom they had removed from a vessel they had captured. In vain did the poor fellow implore their mercy. They dragged him from his occupation, and instantly spritsail-yarded him, having secured him in a position to offer the fairest mark; these infamous villains amused themselves for 20 minutes, slightly wounding him at every shot before their savage pastime was surfeited, and the coup de grace inflicted.

Contrary to their unscrupulous reputation, the pirates returned Hobson and his crew to their sloop, though, without provisions, rudder, boom and anchor, and set them adrift at sea. Several days later and very thirsty, they were located and rescued by Nurse and crew of Eliza off Cayo Romano.

Continuing on to suppress the pirate swarm interrupting trade in Caribbean waters, Rowley assigned two schooners to hunt them. Volunteering, Lieutenant Hobson was given command of HMS Lion, formerly La Gata captured by HMS Grecian on 20 March 1823, and Lieutenant Thomas Marriott command of the schooner HMS Union, at Jamaica, on 30 January 1823.