Women with a Mission: Rediscovering Missionary Wives in Early New Zealand

This is an account of the private and public lives of Elizabeth Colenso, Kate Hadfield, Anne Wilson and Charlotte Brown, who lived in New Zealand during the 19th century. All were married to missionaries, but they led quite different lives. Charlotte Brown and Anne Wilson represent first generation missionary women, who came to New Zealand from Britain; Elizabeth Colenso and Kate Hadfield represent the second generation, those who were born in New Zealand. . These four women played a significant part in the shaping of early colonial life in New Zealand. Some were in many ways just as important as their better-known husbands. They were wives and mothers, but they were also teachers, upholders of the faith and heavily involved with Maori, with some even learning the language. The book looks at both their public and private lives, and their efforts to juggle family and outside commitments. Drawing on the women's letters, journals and diaries,Women with a Mission shows these pioneering women were more than just wives.