In 1849 the settlers of Nelson, New Zealand were dissatisfied at the way the country was being run by one man in distant Auckland. They wanted an immediate introduction of Representative Government into the Southern Settlements of New Zealand.
They therefore took up a petition to submit to Parliament.
It was signed by 392 of the local men


CHARLES EMPSON arrived into Wellington in May 1842 aged 22 (although I can't find him on the May 1842 passenger lists of the CLIFFORD or the LONDON)
- He married Louisa Howard in Nelson on 24-2-1852.

They had 7 children:

- Henry Fredric Empson 12-2-1853 who died aged 12 on 24-10-1865 from falling off his pony

- Charles Clendon Empson born 25-1-1855 in Nelson, married Adeline Young, died 5-8-1938 in Richmond

- Ellen Fanny Empson born 30-2-1856, married Francis Gould, son of a preacher

- George Augustus Empson born 14-3-1858 in Wairau, was chief postmaster in Havelock South, moved to Te Awamutu with his wife Jane Hughes where he died in 1944

- Stanley Howard Empson born 4-4-1860 in Wairau, he married Mary Catherine MacDonald in Auckland, he died in Ngaruawahia, Waikato 23-6-1937

- Annie Louise Empson born 2-6-1862 in Marlborough, she married John Morris Pratt in 1882. They moved to Holbrrok NSW where she died Nov. 1944

- Francis Slocombe Empson born 15-7-1864 in Marlborough, died 1903 aged 39.

Charles as owner, along with David Herd, as manager, planted the first Marlborough vineyard. Charles died soon after the first harvest but Herd went on to win prize after prize for the red muscatel wine. Charles great grandson, Neil Empson, settled in Italy and became a noted exporter of Italian wines.

Charles is on the 1852 Jurors list as a merchant living in Bridge Street
He is on the 1853 Nelson Electoral Roll as a 'merchant'

Can you help with a 'story' for any of the other petitioners who were settlers of Nelson in the early 1800s (see at link)