About Wiremu Te Wheoro
Lived 1826 – 1895 (aged 68–69). Wiremu Te Wheoro was a New Zealand politician.
Wiremu Te Morehu Maipapa Te Wheoro (1826–1895), also known as Major Te Wheoro and later as Wiremu Te Morehu or William Morris, was a 19th-century Māori member of the House of Representatives.
Te Wheoro was born in the Waikato. His father was Te Kanawa, a chief of the Ngāti Mahuta and Ngāti Naho iwi. He was a strong supporter of Pakeha economic concepts and institutions; at a great meeting at Paetai, near Rangiriri, in May 1857, he spoke against a proposal to install Te Wherowhero of Ngati Mahuta as Maori King arguing that the title of "King" appeared to place Te Wherowhero above the Governor. In 1862 he was appointed the chief assessor, who acted as local magistrate and chief of police, in charge of the official runanga at Te Kohekohe, south of Meremere. He asked that a wooden courthouse be built there for magistrate John Gorst, and suggested that Maori youths be drilled to keep order. Timbers for the courthouse were thrown into the river in March 1863 as tensions between Kingites and the government grew. Lieutenant General Duncan Cameron appointed him a captain in the colonial militia and Te Wheoro joined Waata Kukutai in ferrying supplies from steamers at the Waikato Heads to the Camerontown redoubt, until the supply line was severed by a Ngati Maniapoto attack in September 1863. In 1879 there were doubts about his election, and the Elections Validation Act, 1879 validated the election of Te Wheoro and two other MHRs, William Henry Colbeck and Honi Mohi Tawhai.
In the , he had three challengers, but received 69 percent of the vote. In the , he was one of eight candidates and came third.
He was defeated by Te Puke Te Ao, with Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui in second place.
In the , he came second out of five candidates.
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Important facts
People in Wiremu Te Wheoro's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Wiremu Te Wheoro's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Wiremu Te Wheoro?
New Zealand politician
When was Wiremu Te Wheoro born?
Wiremu Te Wheoro was born in 1826 in Waikato Region.
When did Wiremu Te Wheoro die?
Wiremu Te Wheoro died in 1895 in New Zealand.
What was Wiremu Te Wheoro's occupation?
Wiremu Te Wheoro was a politician.
What nationality was Wiremu Te Wheoro?
Wiremu Te Wheoro was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wiremu Te Wheoro. https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-wheoro/
MLA: "Wiremu Te Wheoro." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-wheoro/.
Chicago: "Wiremu Te Wheoro." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wiremu-te-wheoro/.
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