Early life and family Featherston was born in
Newcastle upon Tyne,
Northumberland on 21 March 1813, to Thomas Featherston and Jane (Earl) Featherston. Although he spent a significant amount of time playing sports, specifically football, as a youngster he was also quite academic and qualified in medicine at the
University of Edinburgh in 1836. He arrived in
Wellington in May 1841 on the
New Zealand Company ship
Olympus as
surgeon-superintendent. and his Wellington superintendency, apparently wanting to return to England. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election in both positions within months. Featherston was Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern
Minister of Internal Affairs) in 1861, and a Minister without Portfolio from 1869 to 1871, having been appointed in both instances by
William Fox. Featherston was also heavily involved in the politics of
Wellington Province. He was elected unopposed as the first
Superintendent from 1853. He resigned from this post on 23 April 1858. He was re-elected on 28 June 1858 From 1871 he was the first Agent-General for the colony in London, the precursor to the
High Commissioner.
The Taranaki Wars When war broke out in 1860, Featherston criticised the Government's handling of events, and lent his influence to tribal peacemaking and keeping much of Wellington Province out of the conflict. During the
Second Taranaki War (1863–1866), Featherston raised auxiliaries of
Māori, but they refused to fight unless he himself led them. Despite suffering from tuberculosis and at times being unable to sit on his horse, he indeed led them and accompanied Major General
Trevor Chute on his west coast campaign and march to
Mount Egmont. He led a Māori contingent in several engagements, notably at Otapawa, and later alongside
Gustavus von Tempsky. == Legacy ==