Joseph Veel Colborne-Veel
Portrait of Joseph Colborne-Veel (year unknown)
Born1831
Gloucester, England
Died29 July 1895
Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation(s)journalist, educator
Known foreditor of The Press, secretary of education board

Joseph Veel Colborne-Veel (1831 – 29 July 1895) was a journalist and educator in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Early life

Colborne-Veel was born in 1831 in Gloucester, England and received his early education at Kidderminster.[1] Sources differ whether he graduated in 1856 with honours from Magdalen College, Oxford,[1][2] or from the adjacent but unrelated Magdalen Hall, Oxford.[3] He once won an essay competition, beating Stopford Brooke to second place. Brooke later made a career as a writer, but in the essay competition, his style was marked "too flowery", whilst Veel was judged having used "good, straight-forward, sensible English."[3] In his younger days, he was a successful athlete and once won the lightweight sculls in Oxford.[4] Once in Christchurch, he frequently appeared in the media as a cricketer.[5] In his later life, he was a keen chess player.[4] He married Anne Maria Anstey (1840–1910)[2] in 1857, who was also from Gloucestershire.[6]

Life in New Zealand

Immediately after the wedding, they emigrated to New Zealand on the Glentanner, arriving in Lyttelton on 3 October 1857.[6][7] With strong ties to the Anglican church, he had a letter of introduction with him to James FitzGerald, who had just gone to England as Canterbury's immigration agent (1857–1860), though.[3][8] Colborne-Veel initially went farming in Linwood and marked exam papers for Christ's College.[3]

He was editor of the Christchurch newspaper The Press from December 1861 to 1878 with a break of several months during 1868.[9] In March 1868, he left during a time a deep economic depression to be sub-editor of the Westland Observer, a newspaper run by George Sale.[10] At The Press, he was replaced by Charles Purnell. Towards the end of that year, the ownership of The Press changed, its publication reverted from three times a week to daily, and Purnell moved on. Colborne-Veel was attracted back as the newspaper's editor by December 1868.[11]

Following his career as a journalist, education in Canterbury was the area that he was most eager to enhance.[12] He resigned from The Press in 1878 to become secretary for the education board[13] was principal of the Christchurch Normal School (1893–1895),[14] and was a member of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College (1875–1895).[1][4] He died suddenly during a meeting of the Board of Governors on 29 July 1895.[15] He was buried at Barbadoes Street Cemetery.[16] He was survived by his wife, one son, and three daughters; his last residence had been in Montreal Street.[4][17] His wife died in November 1910.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Scholefield 1940, p. 417.
  2. ^ a b "Mary Caroline Colborne-Veel, 1861–1923". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Christchurch Press Company 1963, p. 28.
  4. ^ a b c d "J. V. Colborne Veel". The Press. Vol. LII, no. 9170. 30 July 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Cricket". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XI, no. 657. 23 February 1859. p. 5. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Obituary". The Press. Vol. LXVI, no. 13892. 17 November 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Shipping News". Lyttelton Times. Vol. VIII, no. 514. 7 October 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  8. ^ McIntyre, W. David. "FitzGerald, James Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  9. ^ Christchurch Press Company 1963, pp. 273–276.
  10. ^ Christchurch Press Company 1963, pp. 89f.
  11. ^ Christchurch Press Company 1963, pp. 91–93.
  12. ^ "The Star". No. 5323. 30 July 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  13. ^ Christchurch Press Company 1963, p. 276.
  14. ^ Christchurch Press Company 1963, p. 104.
  15. ^ "Board of Governors". The Star. No. 5323. 30 July 1895. p. 1. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  16. ^ "Funeral of Mr Colborne-Veel". The Star. No. 5326. 2 August 1895. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  17. ^ "The Late Mr Veel". The Press. Vol. LII, no. 9173. 2 August 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 21 January 2014.

References

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Business positions Preceded byGeorge Sale Editor of The Press 1861–18681868–1878 Succeeded byCharles Purnell Preceded byCharles Purnell Succeeded byJohn Steele Guthrie
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