Thomas

<p class=ql-align-center>1</p><p class=ql-align-center> </p><p class=ql-align-center>Synopsis</p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center> Thomas (a working title) covers the life of Thomas Kendall one of the earliest </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>missionaries to settle in Aotearoa. While I would describe the work as a novel the </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>great majority of characters and events are historically based - with occasional </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>tweaking (e.g. dates around the battle of Moremonui the saga of the </p><p class=ql-align-center>Venus </p><p class=ql-align-center>and the </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>execution of John Cashman). Because the story covers 82 years information tends to </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>be collapsed into scenes or events; e.g. much of the quality of Thomas' early </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>childhood is to be inferred from a shopping expedition he and his mother make to the </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>local village.</p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center> The flow starts from p.16 where Thomas is engaged as a tutor in London. He falls </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>into sin then into depression recovers meets Jane Quickfall (Historical) and is </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>manipulated into marriage with her. He moves with Jane and the beginning of an </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>eventually large family to Thoresby becomes disenchanted has an epiphany at the </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>Bentinck Chapel where he meets Basil Woodd (H) and resettles in London as a school</p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>teacher. Through Woodd he makes a connection with the Church Missionary Society </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>hears the call and is engaged as a missionary. In 1813 he and his family cross to Port </p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center>Jackson and then on to Rangihoua where he becomes part of the mission settlement.</p><p class=ql-align-center><br></p><p class=ql-align-center> </p>