The Mystery of the Monmouth Cannons: Part 2

From Tauranga City Library’s archives

A monthly blog about interesting items in our collections.

Tawakeheimoa cannon, Taumatakahawai Pā (Monmouth Redoubt) c. 1920s.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref 09-082

Last month we talked about a letter written by Colonel G. Arnold Ward, Former Mayor of Tauranga, regarding the unknown origins of the old guns in the Monmouth Redoubt. If you haven't read it already, you can check it out here. In this month's blog post we will delve deeper into the intriguing history of the two Napoleonic era carronades - Tawakeheimoa and Te Tapihana.

Tawakeheimoa, the larger of the two cannons (pictured above), is believed to have once belonged to the early Danish trader Phillip Tapsell (Kean, 2018, p. 20). Tapsell was famous for his battery of twelve 'big guns,' which he used to defend his trading station at Maketū Pā - though this defense was short-lived. In 1836, an attack by Ngāti Hauā and Ngāi Te Rangi led to the successful capture of the pā and the destruction of Tapsell's trading station (Matheson, 1989, p. 2).

Phillip Tapsell and daughter Kataraina, c. 1870s.
Image courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, Steffano Webb Collection (PA-Group-00370),
ref: 1/1-008958-G.

As for the fate of Tapsell's battery following the attack, we are provided with varying accounts. In his memoirs, Tapsell states that following the fall of Maketū Pā, the victors spiked the guns and threw them into the Kaituna River (Adams, 2021, p. 154).

Sketch map of country around Waihī Estuary and Maketū Pā (A), shows location of Tapsell's store (B), Kaituna River, and Te Tumu Pā (I). Creator unknown, 1840. 
Image courtesy of  Alexander Turnbull Library, ref MapColl-832.16a/[187-?]/Acc.1848

Interestingly, an alternate version of events reported by the Daily Southern Cross claims that six of the guns were taken by Ngāi Te Rangi to fortify Te Tumu Pā. However, they were soon recaptured by Te Arawa, except for one gun, which had already been taken to Tauranga (Daily Southern Cross, 12 May 1864, p. 4).

One of twelve 'Tapsell' guns 'Te Haupapa', Wreck of the Falcon Memorial, Maketu.
Image courtesy of Ministry for Culture and Heritage, credit Lynton Diggle, 2009.

While we might initially be more inclined to accept Tapsell's first-hand account over any other, the second version of events does seem to have some credibility to it, owing to an altercation which occurred in 1864.

According to the Daily Southern Cross, the sale of two big guns to a Mr. Black of Tauranga (likely early trader Thomas Black) by Retreat Tapsell (eldest son of Phillip Tapsell) had prompted complaints from Ngāti Kererū, who considered the guns to be taonga, and their property (for further explanation see Bentley, 2013, p. 23-4). One of these guns was reportedly "Tawake hei moa", the other was one which had been found "lying in the water" (Daily Southern Cross, 12 May 1864, p. 4). A meeting was called to discuss the sale; however Black sailed off with the guns before the situation was able to be resolved.

Tawakeheimoa after it was relocated to the Tauranga Historic Village and District Museum, 1986.
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, ref 0460/08

At some point thereafter, Tawakeheimoa came into the possession of A. W. Burrows, who likely purchased it from Mr. Black. Burrows kept the gun in his private collection until his death in 1899, after which it was gifted to the Tauranga Borough Council for public exhibition in the redoubt (Tauranga District Council, 2004, p. 9).

But what about the other Monmouth cannon?

Te Tapihana cannon, Taumatakahawai Pā (Monmouth Redoubt) c. 1956-57.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref 09-075

The smaller carronade donated by Captain A. C. Turner, locally known as Te Tapihana, has also been attributed to Tapsell's battery due to its similarity to the other Tapsell guns (Matheson, 1989, p. 9); however this identification is much less certain. In fact, evidence points more towards a military provenance. A note published in the Bay of Plenty Times in 1914 mentions that Captain Turner received the gun from a military officer in Ōpōtiki during "the Māori War period" (BOPT, April 6th, 1914, p. 4). Additionally, the crown stamp on the cannon's barrel indicates that it was produced for military use (Ward, 1914).

Te Tapihana, Monmouth Redoubt, 2024.
Private Collection, Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries.

Of course, these details do not exclude the possibility that Te Tapihana once belonged to the early Danish trader, and the evidence has only raised further questions. Unfortunately, we may never know for sure.

Bethlehem School pupils at Redoubt, 1961.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref gca-2396

For more background on Tapsell's battery and the whereabouts of the other guns, check out this article by Alister Matheson here. 

Sources:

    Adams, J. (2021). Events in the Life of Phillip Tapsell. Oratia Books.

    Bentley, T. (2013). Tribal Guns and Tribal Gunners: The Story of Māori Artillery in 19th Century New Zealand. Willsonscott Publishing International.

    Matheson, A. (May 1989). Tapsell’s Big Guns. Journal of Tauranga Historical Society, No 37. Pp. 1-11.

    'Maketu. (From our own Correspondent.) May 5'. (published 1864, 12 May). Daily Southern Cross, p. 4.

    'Local and General'. (1914, 6 April). Bay of Plenty Times, 42(6097), p. 4.

    Tauranga District Council. (2004). Tauranga Historic Village Museum, Tauranga, New Zealand: Souvenir Book: Take a Walk in Living History. Tauranga District Council Publisher.

    Ward, G. A. (21 March, 1914). "Old guns in redoubt". [Letter from Colonel G. Arnold Ward to the Town Clerk, Tauranga]. Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, VF CCR. 

For more information about this and other items in our collection, visit Pae Korokī or email the Heritage & Research Team: research@tauranga.govt.nz

Written by Rose Chalklen, Heritage and Research Specialist at Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries.