"Whither Shall We Send Our Son?": A Prosopographical Analysis of Remittance Men in New Zealand

Abstract

This article represents a unique exploration of the creation and lived experiences of British gentlemen exiled by family to the colonies during the nineteenth century. Known as remittance men, they constituted a small but consistent migrant type to British settler societies, and later became the subject of popular mythology. Remittance men have remained but footnotes in New Zealand historiography and their presence deserves greater scrutiny. Through prosopographical analysis, my research expands current knowledge of the historical contexts in which their identities were forged, and adds their stories to New Zealand's current historiography of the nation's early immigrants.
 Note: As part of this research, the author created an Excel spreadsheet containing data analysed for this article. Individuals interested in viewing the data should write and request a copy from the author via helen.leggatt@pg.canterbury.ac.nz