‘There is plenty of roughing it here,
but (with) the exhilarating climate and such a wife as I have, London life is
despicable in comparison’ J.E. FitzGerald, February 1851
FITZ: The colonial adventures of James Edward
FitzGerald by Jenifer Roberts is the first book to fully explore the
private life and multifaceted personality of James Edward FitzGerald.
‘As a direct
descendant of FitzGerald, I was given access to several private collections
containing previously unpublished letters and papers. Digging deep in the archives to unearth the
real FitzGerald was a fascinating experience – and at times very moving,’ says
author Jenifer Roberts.
FitzGerald (‘Fitz’ as he was known by his
friends) played a major role in public life through fifty years of New Zealand
history. Orator, writer, politician and journalist, he was the first Canterbury
Pilgrim to set foot in New Zealand, first superintendent of the province of
Canterbury, first leader of the general government, and founder of the Press newspaper. He was also
an accomplished watercolourist. The book includes colour reproductions of his
paintings and numerous quotations from his poetry and other writings. Much of
this material has never before been published.
‘This book throws
fresh light on Fitz’s personality and activities, and on his equally talented
wife Fanny,’ says Roberts.
FitzGerald’s political drive
towards universal equality was way ahead of its time. On 6 August 1862 he
made an eloquent plea for equal civil and political rights for all New
Zealanders. He castigated the land confiscation policy as an 'enormous crime',
opposed colonisation by military settlers and called for the withdrawal of
British troops.
Roberts concentrates on FitzGerald’s
personality and family life. His wife Fanny spoke several languages and was an
outstanding musician and singer (‘far above the average amateur’). Her marriage
to Fitz was a love-match but also marred with tragedy: six of their children
died at an early age (she gave birth to thirteen children in total). It is also evident through
FitzGerald’s behaviour and letters that he suffered from what is known today as
bipolar disorder – which gave rise to the contradictions
in his character, to his passionate changeability.
Fitz is an intimate,
riveting biography, revealing, as never before, the life and times of James
Edward FitzGerald. Roberts is an acclaimed historian whose previous books have
been widely celebrated in the UK. Her matchless narrative captures the
excitement of the period and reads like a novel.
FITZ
The Colonial Adventures of
James Edward FitzGerald
By Jenifer
Roberts (right)
Otago University Press -
March 2014
ISBN 978-1-877578-73-1
RRP NZ $40 |
1 comment:
Haven't read it yet, but as a a direct descendant of James Edward Fitzgerald myself, I look forward to reading this fascinating account. The review gives me a glimpse into a side of my family history, in particular the possibility that his wild mood swings and financial difficulties, as well as his brilliance, may have been due to a bi-polar disorder. I have also discovered the marriage of his eldest daughter, Amy, to the grandson of the first Rabbi of New Zealand, William Hort Levin. My father, John Pierce Fitzgerald, second son of William Fitzgerald, one of James Edward Fitzgerald's six surviving children, also married a Jew. My mother was a Polish Jew with an uncanny resemblance to a Maori woman.
He too was a government accountant, but he harboured the creative gift he inherited from his grandfather. He spent the years as the business manager for Williamson's Theatre Company and sailed to London in 1930. There he participated in the budding silent film industry at Gainsborough Studios, which later burned down, and spoke on a soapbox in Hyde Park before coming to Toronto, Canada during the depression.
My childhood was inhabited by many famous actors and ballet dancers, such as Dame Margot Fonteyn, who loved my father, whom they called "Fitz." Later in his life, he became a photographer and a film maker. He also had an avid interest in his family history and acquired quite an extensive library of historical books.
My father and I hitch-hiked around Ireland when he was 71. While in Dublin he took me to see the birthplace of one of our distant family relatives, the playwright, George Bernard Shaw. I would love to know how he traced that particular connection, as I understand Fitzgerald was a playwright and in addition to being a poet and Editor of the Press.
Ironically, I now live in British Columbia, Canada, the history of which Fitzgerald had a direct impact upon, arguing that Vancouver Island should not be incorporated by the Hudson's Bay Company.
I made my first appearance on stage at the age of three, and appeared as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the tender age of sixteen. Shortly afterwards, I was chosen to attend the National Theatre School of Canada. Like my great Grandfather, I also seem to have inherited some small portion of his writing and speaking ability, and a strong sense of social justice, and my fair share of the family sense of drama! I would love to be able to connect with the author of this exciting new book, and perhaps even make a journey to New Zealand to see the places my father talked of with such affection.
The house where he grew up was in the hills overlooking Oriental Bay in Wellington, in the same location, it appears that James Edward Fitzgerald built his house.
If you are interested in any of the books my father aquired I would be happy to share them with you. And if you can give me contact information for Jenifer Roberts I would be most grateful.
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