The Book of Tetaura-Raru

"The Book of Tetaura-Raru"
The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

By Howard Henry

A Sovereign Pacific Publication

Now Available : Extracts below
(A Hardback Publication)
About the Author - Howard Henry Cost, Order and Delivery Procedures

This book is dedicated to
Henry and Minora Tetaura
The parents of the Henry Family of the Cook Islands

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

Introduction

   The" Book of Tetaura-Raru" is about the Genealogy of Aitutaki and the Cook Islands.
   It contains more than forty Genealogy Charts first recorded in 1891 by Tetaura-Raru and other elders of his time on Aitutaki. It also contains many stories and historical accounts that date back to the arrival of Ru from Avaiki around 900 AD. From the various Genealogy Charts it is possible to connect back, through several different lines - 43 generations from Tetaura-Raru back to Ru and the original settlers of Aitutaki. For the present day generations it is therefore 47, 48 or 49 generations back to Ru... and that is why this "Book" carries the sub-title - "Our Genealogy of 1000 Years".
   Much of this book is a reconstruction of Tetaura-Raru's original manuscript of 1891 and is therefore written in the Pre-European language dialect of Aitutaki.
   Tetaura-Raru was the "Grandfather" of the Henry Family of the Cook Islands and as a credible source of Genealogy, the Charts included in his manuscript are relevant to not only his descendants, but they are also relevant to other families who have ancestry that extends back into Aitutaki as well.
   In addition to Tetaura-Raru's original manuscript, there is included in this book 12 Short Story Chapters (in English) with regard to the Henry Family of the Cook Islands and various aspects of their history and Aitutaki heritage.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

1 What is Genealogy?

   Just as the Nobility of Britain placed importance on genealogy for various reasons associated with their culture and civilization, so the people of Aitutaki placed great importance on their own traditional genealogy within their culture and civilization as well.
   It was of critical importance to their whole structured society that accurate records were kept on matters relating to genealogy. This was done by the ta'unga, or knowledge-men of the tribe, who committed such things to memory because such things as traditional titles, land, social standing of families and even arranged marriages were dependant upon this information being readily available at any given time - just the same as it was to a large extent for the Nobility of Britain. In fact the whole structure of Aitutaki society depended on this knowledge in order for their very existence to function and operate in the way that it did. Their society was therefore based and built around genealogy as the "Heart" of their way of life.
   The main difference between the culture of Britain and that of Aitutaki was that in the former the recording of genealogy and family history was of importance to but a small portion of the population that made up the upper-class. On Aitutaki, however, it was of importance to the total population as a whole......because its relevance affected the day to day lives of everyone on the island.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

2 The Foundation Ancestors of Aitutaki

   When reviewing the genealogy of Aitutaki another important point must be clearly understood...that is the genealogy of this island is like one big "spider web" and is shaped something like a huge bell. Within this bell structure there are many cross connections as, over the centuries, the various Ariki Families married into each other on a basis that was actually quite sophisticated and based upon "arranged marriages" within the structured society they had established.
   In order to understand much of this genealogy, it is therefore important to identify and understand the placement of several key historical or "corner-stone" figures, within this bell shaped structure, such as Ru, Teerui, Marouna and Te-tupu-o-Rongo along with the four original Ariki he created including Tamatoa, Vaeruarangi, Teurukura and Manarangi...as well as several other "key" historical figures.
      The more "corner-stone" figures a person can place and identify on the Genealogy Charts within the overall "spider web" structure, then the more a person can understand and relate to the various Charts within the "Book of Tetaura-Raru".

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Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

3 The Establishment of the Four Ariki of Aitutaki

   As can be seen on the Genealogy Chart of Page 13, Marouna left several descendants of which one of the most significant was his grandson......Te-Tupu-o-Rongo.
   It appears he lived on Aitutaki in the late 1300's, give or take 25 years, and was the only Ariki on the island at the time. Te-Tupu-o-Rongo came to realize the population of the island had grown too big for one Ariki, so he divided Aitutaki into three Ariki districts. He then created three Ariki Titles and gave each to the eldest son of his three wives.
   From : Te-urei-Ariki came Vaeruarangi Ariki.
   From : Ka-tapu-ki-te-marae came Tamatoa Ariki.
From : Pure-upoko came Teurukura Ariki.
   A short time later Tane arrived from Rarotonga and stated he was a son of Marouna, who had visited that island many years previous. Te-Tupu-o-Rongo accepted Tane as a legitimate son of Marouna and therefore decided to create a fourth Ariki Title for him -
   ......hence Manarangi Ariki.
And those four Ariki titles are still in existence on the island today.

Cook Islands Quotation : "Love many, trust few......always paddle your own canoe".

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

4 The Arrival of Christianity to Aitutaki

   According to William Bligh's Journal at the time, he and several others on the "Bounty" "rubbed noses" with the natives and then exchanged gifts. Bligh wrote the island was called "Wytootakee" and from there he headed west and finally to the "Mutiny on the Bounty" that took place near Tonga on 28 April 1789.
   Subsequent to that Fletcher Christian and the mutineers returned to Tahiti. There they told the local population they had met up with Captain Cook on the open sea and that Bligh and all the young breadfruit trees had been transferred to Cook's vessel for transportation to the West Indies.
   The mutineers then told the people of Tahiti that both Cook and Bligh had sent them back to collect all kinds of food crops and animals so they could go and establish a new colony on an island known as "New Holland".
   "Where is this place...New Holland?" came the question.
   "It is the island of Wytootakee," was the reply.
   The people of Tahiti knew the existence of this island and so gave food and provisions freely after which the "Bounty" departed, but instead of going to Aitutaki, Fletcher Christian and company went to Tubuai in the Austral Group, where an unsuccessful attempt was made to establish a new European colony.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

5 The Missionary...Henry Albert Royle

   In many respects those around Henry Royle came to idolize him as a human being.
   He was the "living expression" of the Lord and he was the "idol" or the "image" of what they saw the Christian faith to be. In Pre-European times the traditional gods were kept on the marae in the form of carved idols. It was to those idols and images that people worshiped in the belief that it was through this kind of religious practice they would be paying the ultimate homage to the god concerned.
However, with regard to the Christian faith, those on Aitutaki at the time saw Henry Royle as the idol or image of the Lord. He was perceived to be equivalent to that of the carved images in Pre-European times through which people had access to their traditional gods.
   Given that situation the small Christian community were prepared to place their lives on the line for this man and were willing to do what ever was necessary to protect him and his wife. The hearts and minds of these people were therefore "full" with the Lord, Jesus Christ and Henry Royle (not necessarily in that order) and they wanted that spirituality to remain with them forever.
   If something happened to Henry Royle, then not only would they lose the man, but they would also lose much of their spirituality as well and that was something they were not prepared to let happen. They therefore increased security around the Missionary and his wife both day and night......to keep the lawless elements away.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

6 How the "Henry Family" got its Name

   There could be various other reasons why the Missionary Henry Albert Royle allowed his name to be placed on the son of Tetaura-Raru, but the fact that he did is a clear indication that the Missionary considered it was a gesture the boys family deserved. For him to come to that conclusion therefore, one has to accept that Henry Royle held Tetaura-Raru and his family in very high regard. This had to be the case otherwise the Missionary would not have broken the "Mission Law" of the London Missionary Society with regard to allowing the placement of a Missionary's name upon a "native" baby boy.
   With the naming of his son "Henry", Tetaura-Raru therefore brought this name into the clan of Tamatoa Ariki as a Christian name and he did so with the blessing and support of Henry Royle.
   ......and that was the very beginning of the "Henry Family" of Aitutaki.
   Henry grew up to be known as......Henry Tetaura and today he is looked upon as being the "Father" of the "Henry Family" of the Cook Islands.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

7 Henry Tetaura and Minora Strickland

   From there the Mission Ship returned to Aitutaki - but Henry Tetaura was not on board.
   Reverend Lawrence asked the Ships Captain :
   "Where's Henry Tetaura?"
   "He's still on Mauke......He asked me to tell you he will return on the next boat."
   "Why did he stay on Mauke?"
   "Simple really......He's got a girlfriend."
   That girlfriend was - Minora Strickland......the daughter of Jeffrey Strickland.
   The pastor of the Church married them on Mauke and a few months later a ship called at the island and subsequently took Henry and Minora Tetaura to Aitutaki.
   Minora Strickland is therefore the "Mother" of the "Henry Family" of the Cook Islands.

Wanted to Know...
Genealogy and family history of Jeffrey Strickland
He was apparently born in England in the early 1800's. His father was an Englishman (name not known) and his mother was Mary (maiden name) Strickland from the Southern United States of America. When Jeffrey left England and headed for the South Seas around 1850-1860, he dis-owned his fathers surname for reasons not known, and took with him his mothers maiden name - Strickland - as his surname...hence : Jeffrey Strickland.
Any information or possible family connection please email :
sovereign-pacific@xtra.co.nz

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

8 Background to : "The Book of Tetaura-Raru"

   Frederick Moss, the first "British Resident" or Resident Commissioner to these islands had long recognized the value of traditional culture and history and on his first visit to the Cook Islands in April 1891 he visited all the islands of the Southern Group. there he encouraged the various communities to start writing down various aspects of their history and genealogy. Of all the islands concerned only Aitutaki managed to achieve anything like what Moss had first envisaged. On the other islands the proposal to write down genealogy resulted in much disagreement to the extent very little was actually achieved.
   As a result of Moss's proposal, what Aitutaki did was to divide the island into six broad family groupings in which each group then put to paper "their" history according to how they wanted it to be written. As can be expected there was much over-lapping and inter-connection between these various family groups.
Frederick Moss later returned to Aitutaki where a meeting was convened by the elders of the island in the Old Sunday School Hall at Arutanga on 19 December 1891.
   It was at this time the "Six Books" of Aitutaki first made their first appearance.
   They were not books as such but rather manuscripts and notes on a wide variety of historical matters, including charts of genealogy. But over a period of time these manuscripts became known as "Books" as a result of the important historical information each of them contained.
   These "Six Books" were : The Book of Ngati-Tepaki,
                                       : The Book of Vari-tama,
                                       : The Book of Isaraela,
                                       : The Book of Ngaropu,
                                       : The Book of Pitomaki, and
                                       : The Book of Tetaura-Raru.
   Apart from the "Book of Tetaura-Raru" it is not known how many, if any, of these books or manuscripts are still in existence today.

Cook Islands Proverb : "If you are ignorant of your past...you will always be a child"

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

9 The Manuscript : "The Book of Tetaura-Raru"

   The restoration of the document was not an easy task.
   In the years from 1891 to the late 1940's there were two updates with new generations added and apparently the manuscript was first typed by Geoffrey Henry in the 1920's and then re-typed with additions by Albert Henry in the 1940's.
   It is the later version that is included (with more than 120 pages) in this publication in which the 1940's document was not re-typed but rather simply "cleaned-up" and restored and therefore reprinted as it was......to confirm no changes or alterations had been made to that which was originally prepared at that time.
Note : The various historical stories in the manuscript are written in the old language dialect of Aitutaki. There is also more than 40 Genealogy Charts extending back to Ru as the original Foundation Ancestor of the island that over-lap and cross-connect in various ways down through more than 48 generations.
   It is not necessary to understand the language in order to follow and link-up many of the various charts. One does not need to comprehend the old language of Aitutaki to connect, understand and appreciate the genealogy this book contains.

*The Cook Islands Centenary* - 11 June 1901 to 11 June 2001
A series of articles as prepared by Howard Henry
On 11 June 1901 the Cook Islands was formally created as a political identity...and on the same day they were annexed by New Zealand as a Dependent Territory. Included here is a series of articles leading up to 11 June 1901 and the creation of the Cook Islands as a political entity - and the beginning of its long and respected association with New Zealand. Go to : : www.homepagez.com/cookislands/
A Sovereign Pacific Publishing Company Presentation

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

11 The Two Families of Jeffrey Strickland
...Mauke and Aitutaki

   A few years later in the 1860's, William Marsters and his family moved from Manuae to Palmerston and soon discovered this anchor firmly planted in the centre of the island. He knew exactly what it meant. He was very much aware that it was a claim from another person with regard to ownership of the island. So he promptly uplifted it ......took it out to the reef and subsequently threw it into the ocean......and that was the end of Jeffrey Strickland's claim to Palmerston.
   Several years later Jeffrey returned to the island to find William Marsters and his family in residence. He went looking for his "anchor of claim", but it was no-where to be found. He apparently asked William Marsters :
   "What happened to my anchor?"
   "What anchor?" was the reply......and that is the end of that story.
   Jeffrey Strickland therefore departed Palmerston on the same boat he had arrived on.

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Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

12 Tupui Ariki Geoffrey Tearapoti Henry

   In 1885 Henry and Minora Tetaura had their first child.
   They had a son...and Henry Tetaura named him "Tupui Ariki Geoffrey Tearapoti Henry" who grew up to be known as Geoffrey Henry or Tiavare Enere. At the time of his son's birth Henry Tetaura had the option of placing either of his own names on Geoffrey to be the boys surname. He could quite easily have chosen "Tetaura"......but he did not. He chose "Henry" instead and thus the first generation of the Henry Family of the Cook Islands was about to unfold.
   Henry Royle had long since left Aitutaki, but two of his daughters were still on the island and teaching at the local L.M.S. Church School. So one has to assume that the name "Henry" became a surname with the blessing and endorsement of the two ladies concerned, otherwise Reverend Lawrence, the then Resident Missionary would not have baptized Geoffrey Henry......name and all - at the time that he did.

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

13 The Story of Robert (Bob) Henry

   Robert or Bob Henry was the youngest son of Henry and Minora Tetaura.
   One night while doing a final check in the ships galley as part of his duties before retiring for the night, Bob accidentally locked himself inside one of the freezers. He was very much aware that the galley was now empty and that no one would be there until the early morning shift arrived to start preparing breakfast the following day.
   Bob was also aware that if he remained idle and did not move around, then in due course he would end up like the various sides of meat hanging with him in the chiller - frozen......So he began carting meat.
   What he did was......he carried all the meat from one side of the freezer to the other where he hung them up on various hooks. Once he had done that Bob then turned around and carried them all back to the other side. For the rest of the night that is what he did back and forth in a desperate effort to combat the cold and fight to remain alive.
   In due course the breakfast shift arrived the following morning and when one of them opened the freezer door he found to his amazement Bob was there still toiling away carting meat across the freezer. But by now he was in a very bad shape. When the vessel reached San Francisco Bob was transferred to hospital where everyone thought it was only a matter of time before he would eventually die......but he did not.

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Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

14 The Birth of Albert Royle Henry

   By mid 1907 Metua Grace, the wife of Geoffrey Henry, was pregnant with child when Alice Royle, the daughter of Henry Royle became seriously ill. Given there was no doctor on Aitutaki it was decided the sick woman had to go to Rarotonga and so Metua Grace went with Alice to be her nurse.
   Sadly, the woman failed to recover and died on 9 June 1907 and was buried the next day, 10 June 1907, in the Avarua L.M.S. Church Cemetery where her grave and headstone can be seen today just inside the main gate and a few yards to the left.
   Funny thing......the following day Metua Grace gave birth to a son - on 11 June 1907 and the baby remained with no name for several months until she returned to Aitutaki where Geoffrey had the responsibility of giving him his name.
   He therefore approached Harriet, who was Henry Royle's only remaining daughter on the island, and asked her blessing to place her fathers name on his new-born son. Harriet agreed and suggested Geoffrey call his son "Albert" because that was the "middle" name of her father......Henry Albert Royle.
   ......and so it came to pass that Albert Royle Henry got his name.
   ..... he went on to become the first Premier of the Cook islands in 1965 and is looked upon by many people today as being - the Modern-Day "Father of the Cook Islands".

dmoz

Pacific Islands Genealogy
For more information on various aspects of Pacific Islands Genealogy - try this...
: http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Oceania/Society_and_Culture/Genealogy/
: All paths lead the way home : http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park

Extract from... "The Book of Tetaura-Raru" The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 years

Epilogue

   If nothing else, the publication of this "Book" clearly establishes beyond doubt where the Henry Family belongs within the overall "Family of the Cook Islands".
   But this "Book" does much more than that. It also establishes where other families that connect to this genealogy, at one place or another also belong and are therefore able to trace their ancestry back to Ru and the very beginning. There would be dozens of families and thousands of individuals scattered all over the world to whom this genealogy relates.
   We are very fortunate that the Manuscript of Tetaura-Raru has survived for so long.
   We must be grateful to the various "Caretakers" who have looked after this manuscript on behalf of the "Family" and we are eternally grateful to Tetaura-Raru and his fellow elders of that time for sharing their knowledge and taking up the challenge first presented to them on Aitutaki by Frederick Moss, the Official "British Resident"......in 1891.

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About the Author - Howard Henry

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*Cost, Order and Delivery Procedures*

"The Book of Tetaura-Raru"
The Henry Family of the Cook Islands : Our Genealogy of 1000 Years

A "Hard Back" Publication : Now Available
NZ$35 for New Zealand Currency Countries
US$20 for non New Zealand Currency Countries
(Price includes all packaging and freight costs...This book carries a 30 day moneyback gurantee)
To place an order...or request further information - email :sovereign-pacific@xtra.co.nz

Postal Address : Sovereign Pacific Publishing Company,
P.O.Box 101569, North Shore Mail Centre. Auckland, New Zealand.

*History-books-about-the-Cook Islands* History books about the Cook Islands, as written by Howard Henry, from the Pre-European era through
the Colonial Years to 1965. These *Sovereign Pacific* publications are available on our sister website : Sovereign Pacific Publishing Company

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About the Author : Howard Henry Howard Henry was born in 1952.
His father was from the Cook Islands and his mother was from New Zealand.
He was educated at Tereora College, Rarotonga and St Stephens School, Auckland, NZ.
He attended Oxford University in 1977-78 on a United Nations Scholarship, and obtained a "Certificate in Diplomacy" with Special Distinction in "International Trade and Finance".
He worked for several years in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Cook Islands and was later the Editor of Debates with the Cook Islands Parliamentary Service.
More recently he has been living in New Zealand as a company director in a self-employed capacity......and now he is writing books on various aspects of Cook Islands history.

Also by the same author...and available on the Internet :
My Heritage has a Future
A Collection of Historical Stories from the Cook Islands
www.freehomepages.com/heritage
The Coming of Tomorrow
European "Discovery" and Arrival of the Gospel to the Cook Islands
www.dazzled.com/tomorrow

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Sovereign Pacific Publishing Company
Manuscripts currently under construction...
Subject Titles include:

The Story of the C.I.P.A.
Cook Islands Progressive Association and
the years of economic turmoil 1943-1950

Every Little Breeze has a Whisper

A Collection of Pre-European Stories... from Rarotonga

The Rise and Rise
of the Cook Islands Party
Cook Islands Politics and the Road to Self-Government...1960-1965

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