Tamati Waka Nene could not have children and Tiraha became his (whangai-ed)adopted daughter. Amelia Cook was my grandmother. Edward and Amelia Cook are both buried in our family urupa at Pahiko on our family farm down the Waikare river. Although William and Tiraha are listed as having 11 or 12 children my brother tells me not all of them were biological children to William Cook but William Stewart's children that Cook and Tiraha brought back from Rakiura (Stewart Island) after a failed attempt by Stewart to set up a whaling station there (they were starving and Stewart sailed to Australia for supplies; on arrival was arrested and jailed for outstanding warrants). Cook got the women to weave sails made from flax and they built a boat/ship that they then returned in to the Bay of Islands. William, and his brothers George and Herbert had a Whaling station at Whangamumu http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/historic/by-region/northland/bay-of-islands/whangamumu-whaling-station/ I mentioned that not all of the children were biological because they did not inherit any of the land/assets belonging to the William Cook m. Tiraha union. Only his offspring did. Hope this helps.

Thank you, every bit I can pass on helps.
What I have on Tiraha at present is:

Tiraha Papaharakeke (Ancestry.com = Tiraha Waka Nene Papahararekeke)
According to the Paihia Church Burial Register, Tiraha was born about 1808 at Utakura, Hokianga.
Dates of death: 28 Apr 1874 & 1 Sep 1885 (Any idea wich one is accurate?)
She is the daughter of Papaharakeke and Kopu.
Third cousin and adopted daughter of Tamati Waka Nene and Kinswoman to a number of Ngapuhi rangatira.

Tiraha's Ngapuhi side is from the Popoto people of the upper Hokianga and on her Bay of Island Side, she is Te Kapotai, trough her mother Kopu, from Taura, through Te Ranga, a woman of Waikare, whose ancestry went back to the old Ngati Wai people of Te Rawhiti and South, who were probably the Hgati Awa.
Kuta, Tihara's great-great grandmother, also had a Waikare background, and this too, accounts for Tamati Waka Nene's connection with the Kapotai Tribe.

By virtue of her Wakapapa connections she was entitled to land at Waikare, Opua, Utakura and Motuti.

Tiraha's father Papa-harakeke was killed by the Tuhourangi at Mottutawa Isalnd in lake Rotokahi, Rotorua in 1822.
It was Hongi Hika who in 1823 concerned himself with avenging Papa's death.
Hongi had a patu made, with wich this was to be avenged, but it was finally given to the Arawa people as a tohu (Token) of peace.
This patu was called Papa-Harakeke, and is now owned by the Arawa trust board, but is in the custody of the Auckland Museum.

Tiraha was a chieftainess, a fine looking woman and wore a moko on her chin.
Tiraha and William Cook became associated in the Bay of Islands where they lived together as man and wife, much to the pleasure of Tamati Waka Nene as was proved by his generosity towards them later on.
William and Tiraha did not enter in to a Christian marriage until 1848.
The entry on the church registry states: "On the 13th 1848, by the Rev. Henry Williams, William Cook of Paihia Parish and TArahia were married in this church."

The church being the mission church at Paihia.
A prayer book, believed to be given to the couple on the occasion is now in the Russell Museum.
Tiraha (or Eliza as she became known) passed away on the 1st September 1885, aged 77 years.
She was burried in the Russell Churchyard, although her grave is not marked, but is entered in the parish register.

William Cook, came to New Zealand as third mate on an English whaler.
He took as his wife Tiraha, who was of Nga Puhi and Kapotai and kin (Sister) to several important Hokianga chiefs including Tamati Waka Nene & Patuone.

William and Tiraha were involved in boat-building at Stewart Island and in the Bay of Islands

If any of this os not accurate, please let me know.

Thank you. A lot of the info you've posted is correct and we have always known ourselves to be Te Kapotai. What may not be correct, I'll see if I can have confirmed by another family member. There is only one known picture of Tiraha and is in the Russell Museum - this is the pic of her that everyone has. The land connection in Waikare, part of that was inherited by my grandmother Amelia and is where William and Tiraha lived. Their home was on the footprint of my cousin's house that stands there and is below the family urupa. (the original home being burnt to the ground after Tiraha died, William having predeceased her). I have copies of some pics of the maternal side of my mother's family (COOK) and there is also a link http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=5061169255 although I don't belong to this particular page and know little about these descendants in the islands. My connection is more to the NZ descendants and some of my close family are in photos posted of the 2006 family reunion at our marae. Are you on Facebook? I have family on there who may be able to provide more details for you.

hi just recieved an email on this and i am not too sure what it is that u really want to know as everything u written so far is correct.If you can be a bit more specific i may be able to help.Is

My cousin manubird can give you more information - she knows how we are connected to your family in Norfolk.

Hope im not too late to respond to this but I find it interesting,

Im 51 , grew up in Auckland , been in Austrlia for 30 odd years .

My Mum was a Cook , her Dad Harry Cook was from Hokianga , fought in the first world war, settled in Auckland after the War.

As a child growing up I was told several times we are related to Tamiti Waka Nene.

But Ive got no idea how, wish I had asked more questions .