Claude-André Baty

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From THE FIRST WAVE OF FRENCH MARISTS by Michael O'Meeghan SM, 2008, 10.


Fr CLAUDE-ANDRÉ BATY, aged 27 (on arrival in New Zealand in Group II on 14 Jun 1839).


He went first to Hokianga to begin learning Maori with Servant. In late July 1841 he left the Bay of Islands on the Sancta Maria with Pompallier and others. On 30 September Pompallier left him at Mahia to assess its suitability as a new mission station. With Pompallier diverted to Wallis, Baty was not uplifted and he travelled through the Urewera for some months, crossing paths with William Colenso. He left Mahia on 10 July 1842 to arrive in Kororareka on 24 August to take charge of mission printing in the nearly completed printery. In December 1849 Viard sent him to Wellington to prepare for the Marists to shift there on Pompallier's return from Europe. He was already showing early signs of consumption in late 1850 when he was called to Sydney to take charge of the mission Procure there. After several months he went to New Caledonia for his health. He died on 5 August 1851 on the Ile de Pins, aged 39, and is buried there.


Some documents that mention him (those in bold are written by him)
Clisby Letters - 9, 13, 24, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 43, 46, 49, 61, 65, 80, 90, 92,
HD1:86, HD1:118, HD2:002-3, HD2:004, HD2:031-32,
Girard0159, Girard0166, Girard0222, Girard0239, Girard0243, Girard0271, Girard0283, Girard0313, Girard0324, Girard0325, Girard0350, Girard0352, Girard0360, Girard0361, Girard0365, Girard0366, Girard0435, Girard0442, Girard0875, Girard0876, Girard0981, Girard1029,
L2O18401103, NZ18420806, NZ18441128,
ColinSup007

Research by Elizabeth Charlton - Marist Archivist Wellington

Birth: 1/10/1811 Saint-Jean-sur-Reyssouze, Ain, France
Death: 5/08/1851 Île des Pins, New Caledonia


Burial: Cimetiere de Vao, Île des Pins, New Caledonia


Profession 24/09/1836
Ordination 19/12/1835


1830 Began formation for Diocese of Belley (Belley – Philosophy, Brou – Theology)
18340720 Diaconate; appointed to College de Belley where he came into contact with aspirant Marists
18351219 Ordained priest
18360924 Profession


  • 18380922 left France on Reine de Paix
  • 18390614 Arrived Bay of Islands
  • 18410723 sailed on Sancta Maria
  • 18410816 arrive Tauranga
on foot Tauranga-Matamata return APM 18411002 Baty to Epalle
    • 18410825 after briefly at Matamata with Seon LRO doc 865
    • 18410907 Tauranga APM 18410906 Seon to Epalle LRO doc 866
on foot Tauranga-Opotiki APM 18411002 Baty to Epalle
sailed Opotiki-Mahia Pompallier Early History
  • 18411217-18420109 Mission circuit Wairoa-Lake Waikaremoana LRO doc 232
  • 18411218 Wairoa APM 18411219 Baty to Epalle
  • 18420710-184208 travel to Auckland (had money to sail there LRO doc 222[3])
  • 18420824-184912 Kororareka
    • 18440111-18440123 Kororareka to Sydney on Tryphena
    • 18440123 Sydney
  • 18500902 dep Wellington on Louis & Miriam for Sydney arr 18500924
  • 185009-18510415 Superior Mission Procure, Sydney
  • 18510415 left Sydney for Ile des Pins
  • 18510504 arrived Ile de Pins


Information on the NZ Early History website of pre-1846 Europeans in NZ

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