Frederick Weld
Frederick Aloysius Weld (1823-1891) was a prominent colonial administrator and politician who played significant roles in New Zealand, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Straits Settlements. Born into a large English Catholic family, he was educated at Stonyhurst and the University of Fribourg, where his early interests in science and law developed. After arriving in New Zealand in 1844, Weld established sheep stations and became active in politics, serving as a member of the House of Representatives and later as Prime Minister. He was pivotal in the passage of the Native Rights Act of 1865, which affirmed the rights of Māori tribes as British subjects.
Weld's tenure as Prime Minister was marked by his efforts to resolve conflicts between settlers and Māori, advocating for the withdrawal of British troops in favor of a local militia. Following his political career in New Zealand, he served as the colonial governor in Western Australia and Tasmania, where he worked on infrastructure development and governance reforms. His legacy is complex; while he sought to treat indigenous populations fairly, some of his policies contributed to land dispossession. A devout Roman Catholic, Weld married Filumena Anne Phillipps and had thirteen children. His contributions were recognized with knighthoods from the British crown and the pope.
Subject Terms
Frederick Weld
Colonial administrator
- Born: May 9, 1823
- Birthplace: Near Dorset, England
- Died: July 20, 1891
- Place of death: Dorset, England
Significance: Weld was the premier of New Zealand from 1864 to 1865. He also served as a British colonial governor of Western Australia (1868–74), Tasmania (1875–80), and the Straits Settlements in what is now Malaysia (1880–87).
Background
Frederick Aloysius Weld was born in 1823 into a large, prominent English Catholic family. He grew up on his family’s estate, Chideock Manor, near Dorset. He had three brothers and four sisters.
Weld’s early education was at Stonyhurst, a Jesuit boarding school in Lancashire, to which his grandfather had given property. He later attended the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, where he studied science and law and was greatly influenced by his tutor, B. H. Freudenfeld, a Roman Catholic priest. Freudenfeld advised him against pursuing a military career, and Weld decided to join family members who were relocating to the British colony of New Zealand.
Weld arrived in New Zealand in April 1844 and partnered with his cousin Charles Clifford in establishing and running two sheep stations, one in the southern Wairarapa region of the North Island and another in Marlborough in the northeastern part of the South Island. In 1851 he published a pamphlet, Hints to Intending Sheep-Farmers in New Zealand, about what life was like for colonists on these ranches.
Weld and Clifford were both active in the Wellington Settlers’ Constitutional Association, lobbying for a constitution for New Zealand. Weld’s first entry into politics was as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1853.
Political Career
After the British Parliament approved a constitution for the internal government of New Zealand in late 1852, Weld won a seat in the new House of Representatives for Wairau. However, he became frustrated by the infighting within the government of New Zealand. He resigned his seat in June 1855 to fight in the Crimean War (1853-1856), which ended before he arrived back in Europe.
Weld returned to New Zealand and was reelected for Wairau in 1858. In 1860 he became minister of native affairs in the cabinet of Edward William Stafford, then premier (prime minister), and the following year was reelected for Cheviot. In an earlier treaty, the Māori tribes had been recognized as British subjects with the same rights and status as settlers. When settlers challenged this status, Weld pushed through the New Zealand Parliament the Native Rights Act of 1865, which reaffirmed this status. He also established native land courts.
In 1864 the government of premier Frederick Whitaker resigned due to disputes with then colonial governor Sir George Grey, who then asked Weld to form a government. Weld became premier in November 1864. A war was going on between the settlers and the Māoris, and Weld believed the conflict was brought on by British colonial bureaucrats and military officers. He asked that the British troops be removed and formed a local militia that quelled the conflict. Disputes between the New Zealand government and the Colonial Office over defense matters continued, however, and Weld, citing health concerns, resigned his premiership in October 1865. He stepped down from Parliament the following January. After he left New Zealand, he published Notes on New Zealand Affairs (1869), stating his position on controversial issues there.
In 1868 Weld was named the colonial governor of Western Australia, arriving in Perth in September 1869. The settlers initially appreciated him as a family man and an experienced pioneer rancher. Weld traveled extensively throughout the colony, familiarizing himself with the land and the people. Over nine hundred miles of telegraph lines were built during his tenure as governor. In 1870 Weld considered a settlers’ petition for representative government. He prepared a bill that May to allow twelve elected representatives to join the appointed governing council, and this bill was narrowly passed soon thereafter. Weld’s last years in this position were marked by conflicts with the settlers over education and tariffs, vocal criticism by local papers, and occasional reprimands from the Colonial Office.
From 1875 to 1880 Weld served as the colonial governor of Tasmania. Technically this was a demotion from his position in Western Australia, with lower pay, but he believed it offered a better situation for his growing family. He had few problems in this position and fortified the capital, Hobart, against potential Russian aggression.
Weld remained there until he was made governor of the Straits Settlements in British Malaya (now part of Malaysia) in 1880. Singapore, the major commercial center and capital, and two other settlements—Penang and Malacca—made up this colony at the time. Several other Malayan states were independent but under a British protectorate. Weld extended British influence in these independent states and promoted infrastructure development. He resigned his position in 1887 in poor health and died at his family’s estate in England on July 20, 1891.
Impact
Weld was generally an effective but controversial colonial administrator. He sought to handle the affairs of indigenous people justly but also believed that the firm assertion of imperial authority was the best policy for the Crown, the European settlers, and the indigenous people. As prime minister of New Zealand, he helped to insure that the Māori were recognized as subjects of the British crown, but at the same time, some of his policies opened the door for the dispossession of much of their land, which left a bitter, enduring legacy.
While serving as the governor of the Straits Settlements in 1880, Weld was elevated to the peerage, eventually becoming a knight grand cross in the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, which honors those who have made important contributions in diplomatic and colonial service to the British crown. He was also knighted by the pope.
Personal Life
In March 1859, while on a return visit to England, Weld married Filumena “Mena” Anne Phillipps at her family’s estate in Leicester. The devout Roman Catholic couple had thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters. Among them two sons became priests, two daughters nuns, and another daughter the prioress of a convent the Weld family founded. Weld himself had wide-ranging interests in literature and art, and painted watercolors.
Bibliography
Graham, Jeanine. “Weld, Frederick Aloysius.” Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, 1990. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, /teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1w10/weld-frederick-aloysius. Accessed 3 June 2020.
Louch, T. S. “Weld, Sir Frederick Aloysius (1823-1891).” Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 6, 1976. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, adb.anu.edu.au/biography/weld-sir-frederick-aloysius-4829 Accessed 3 June 2020.
Lovat, Alice. The Life of Sir Frederick Weld, G.C.M.G.: A Pioneer of Empire. John Murray, 1914. HathiTrust Digital Library, babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074830533&view=1up&seq=11. Accessed 5 June 2020.
Maclean, Gavin. “Frederick Weld.” NZ History, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand Government, 8 Nov. 2017, nzhistory.govt.nz/people/frederick-weld. Accessed 3 June 2020.
Weld, Everard. “Frederick Aloysius Weld.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 15. Robert Appleton Company, 1912. New Advent, newadvent.org.cathen/15579a,htm. Accessed 3 June 2020.