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Lucy Takiora Lord

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucy Takiora Lord
Born9 October 1842
Died3 September 1893
NationalityNew Zealand
Other namesLouisa Grey, Lucy Elizabeth, Takiora Grey, Bloody Mary, Mrs Blake, Lucy D'Alton[1]
Occupation(s)Guide, Interpreter
Spouses
  • Te Mahuki
    (m. 1860; died 1866)
  • Joseph Edwin Dalton
    (m. 1878)
RelativesSophia Hinerangi (half-sister)[2]
Nicola Kawana (relative)

Lucy Takiora Lord (9 October 1842 – 3 September 1893) was a New Zealand guide and interpreter. She is known for her role as an interpreter between Māori peoples and English colonizers. She is considered a controversial figure due to her assistance in the selling of Māori land to Pākehā.[1]

Biography

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Watercolour by Gustavus von Tempsky. Lucy Takiora Lord is in the foreground.

She was born in Russell, Northland, New Zealand on 9 October 1842.[3][4] She was the daughter of the Māori Kotiro Hinerangi and the English shop owner William Lord.[1] Lord, alongside her first husband, Te Mahuki, were known as guides and interpreters for Gustavus von Tempsky and British troops during the New Zealand Wars in the 1860s.[5] Later, she acted as an interpreter during land purchases of Māori land.[1]

Throughout her life she was known by many names including Louisa Grey, Lucy Elizabeth, Takiora Grey, Bloody Mary, Mrs Blake and Lucy D'Alton.[1]

She married Joseph Dalton in 1878 under the name Louisa Grey.[2][1]

Death and legacy

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She died on 3 September 1893 at New Plymouth hospital.[1]

In July 2021 a play called Kūpapa based on the life of Lucy Takiora Lord written by Nicola Kawana premiered.[6] The play was presented by Te Pou Theatre in Auckland and directed by Erina Daniels.[7][8][9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Donald, Mary. "Lucy Takiora Lord". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b MacDonald, Tui (1992). Macdonald, Charlotte (ed.). The book of New Zealand women = Ko Kui Ma Te Kaupapa (Repr. (twice) ed.). Wellington: Williams. pp. 650–652. ISBN 0908912048.
  3. ^ "Lucy Takiora Lord | Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Lucy Elizabeth Lord". Puke Ariki Collection Online. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ Rice, R. (2018). "The 'Gordon Collection of Photographic Portraits Relating to the New Zealand Wars". New Zealand Journal of History. 51 (1): 37–52.
  6. ^ "The legend of Maori guide and interpreter, Lucy Takiora Lord". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2021.
  7. ^ "KŪPAPA". Te Pou Theatre. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  8. ^ O'Flaherty, Erin. "REVIEW: Kūpapa (Te Pou Theatre)". Theatre Scenes: Auckland Theatre Blog (Reviews and commentary). Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  9. ^ Pou, Te. "A Woman Of Consequence: Fierce Wāhine Tell The Story Of Lucy Takiora Lord | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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