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The Rt Revd John Coleridge Patteson, Lit. Hum.

In many respects "Coley" Patteson was a younger version of Bishop Selwyn. Not only did they celebrate their birthdays only four days apart, but both were filled with enthusiasm for mission, of wealthy privileged family, with formidable mind, had attained honours in both academic and sports pursuits, and were commited to the equality of all people in the eyes of God.

He was born in London to a wealthy and respected family, his father Sir John Patteson a renowned judge of the King's Bench, his mother the niece of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Educated privately in Devon and then at Eton from 1838, he went up to Balliol College, Oxford in 1845, graduating Literae Humaniores (Classical B.A.) in 1848. A gifted linguist, as was Selwyn, he spent some time in Europe, learning Hebrew and Arabic in Germany  before becoming a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, in 1852.

He was admitted Deacon on 14^th September 1853, and ordained Priest in 1854 at the church in Alfington, Devon, which had been given to the Parish of Ottery St Mary by the Coleridge family.

In 1855, after hearing Bishop George Selwyn speak about missionary work in the South Pacific, The Revd Patteson offered himself and arrived in New Zealand on the Duke of Portland, having spent the time on voyage mastering Maori and navigation, in the same manner as his mentor had done. He settled into residence at St John's College as a Missionary Chaplain to Bishop Selwyn while furthering his knowledge of the Maori language and educating the boys in the Mission School.

On Ascension Day, 1^st May 1856, he set out with Bishop Selwyn on his first voyage to Melanesia on the Southern Cross, travelling as far as the Solomon Islands. He steadily took over all Melanesian Mission responsibilities, initially bringing boys back to New Zealand for training as missionaries for their own islands. Later they were trained at new Mission Stations set up on Mota, in the most northern of Vanuatu's islands, and still later on Norfolk Island, where it was named the St Barnabas' Mission School. In the course of his travels Mr Patteson was reputed to have learned 23 different languages of Polynesia and Melanesia. As the years progressed, his health deteriorated, as did that of all who worked in the tropics, and in 1860 he finally took a break in Sydney.

He was consecrated Bishop of Melanesia on 24^th February 1861 in Old St Paul's Church by Bishop Selwyn, and installed in St Andrew's College Chapel, Kohimarama in the presence of the trainee missionaries with whom he also shared his celebratory dinner. That evening he preached his first sermon as Bishop in (Old) St Mary's Church, Parnell.

Through the following years he worked in his Bishopric, gaining far greater acceptance for Christianity than did Bishop Selwyn. One of his more remarkable traits for his day was his complete lack of prejudice about colour; Bishop Patteson was working towards establishing Melanesian priests, and wrote of the day when Melanesian bishops would control their own churches. Contrary to the prevailing views of the day he set out to establish Christianity within the context of Melanesian culture, rather than replacing their culture with an English culture embodied in Christianity. In this he differed from Selwyn, who sought to develop rather more English-ness in his ordinands.

On 20th September 1871, when coming ashore for a confirmation service on the island of Nukapu, the Bishop was murdered and two chaplains died a week later from arrow wounds. Though no satisfactory reason was found, English & Dutch traders were still coercing Melanesians to go with them to become cheap labour in Australia and Fiji, where they often died. Bishop Patteson's name had been used to lure people into this indentured slavery, and as he was known to take boys from the islands (though to the Mission schools), there may have been an unwitting connection made which resulted in his death. The only indication of a reason for his death were five stab wounds in his chest, which may have corresponded with the killing of five Nukapu men by slave traders a short time before his arrival. His funeral was held on board the Southern Cross, and his body consigned to the sea.

Though missionaries had been asking at length and in vain for the slave trade in the Pacific to be stamped out,  it was the shock of Bishop Patteson's death which finally caused the English government to take immediate steps to do so.

Perhaps the most succinct epitaph is found in "For All the Saints", a New Zealand resource for commemorations in Anglican Churches, published by the N.Z. General Synod:

 ". . . his life was taken by those for whom he would gladly have given it."

A summary of the life and mission of The Rt Revd John "Coley" Patteson is included in Lectionaries throughout the Worldwide Anglican Communion and he is commemorated on the anniversary of his death. In New Zealand and throughout the Pacific his name is seen on many landmarks. In Mission Bay, Auckland, where some of the original Mission buildings may still be seen, Patteson Avenue winds up the hill to Kohimarama. The Patteson Entrance is a feature of the Cathedral, and his letters of appointment as a Bishop, signed by Bishop Selwyn, are on display in the Marsden Chapel. A window in St Mary's was erected to his memory in the Sanctuary, flanking the central three lights.

An expanded and pleasantly-written commentary of Bishop Patteson's life, in story form, is published online by Kiribati resident Jane Resture. While there, you may like to explore Melanesia and Oceania through the rest of her comprehensive, colourful and gentle site.