Joseph Tetley

Joseph Dresser Tetley (28 November 1825 – 21 August 1878) His family was from Clervaux, at Croft, in Yorkshire, though he was born a little further south, in Dishforth, within the parish of Topcliffe.

Tetley was a tenant farmer. They had three sons: Willy (born 1851), Cadwallader (1854–1913), and Frank (born 1856). Tetley arrived in New Zealand on the Marchioness, which sailed into Wellington Harbour on 27 November 1857. His wife arrived with their three sons on the Westminster in Lyttelton on 9 January 1858.

Farming and politics

Upon his arrival in New Zealand, thanks to his connections with Weld, Tetley was able to meet with Nathaniel Levin, a businessman in Wellington. in Marlborough, on the Kekerengu River, from 1857 establishing the sheep station of Kerekengu Station. He obtained this land with the assistance of some financial backing from Levin.

Tetley represented the Picton electorate on the Marlborough Provincial Council from 5 January 1867 to 13 January 1869. In July 1867, Tetley was—alongside John Hyde Harris—appointed to the Legislative Council. He was a member of the upper house from 8 July 1867 to 19 June 1869. He resigned from the Legislative Council after his departure from New Zealand, in 1869.

Fraud, departure from New Zealand, and aftermath

During his time in New Zealand, Tetley had obtained thousands of pounds worth of investments from several creditors, including Nathaniel Levin and Richard Beaumont (one of four young men from England from whom Tetley had also secured investments). during the passage near the West Indies. It was reported that she survived the 18 November 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami. Tetley's wife was buried at sea, Later that year, it was reported that Seymour and Tetley had secured and , respectively, with Tetley's land on the banks of the Waikato River where it flows into Lake Taupō. It turned out, however, that the arrangements had not been finalised and neither had obtained legal access to the land.

Tetley left New Zealand on 8 May 1868 on the Mataura from Wellington Harbour for Southampton via Panama, with the stated intention of returning immediately. His resignation from the Legislative Council was accepted on 19 June 1869, over a year after his departure. The trial ended on 4 December 1869 with a hung jury, albeit mostly in favour of a nominal verdict – eventually prompting both sides to consent to discharging the jury without a verdict.

Later life and death

After having arrived in England in 1868, Tetley moved to Paraguay At the time, Cadwallader, his middle son, was farming in near Colonia del Sacramento.