Manuel José (trader)

Manuel José de Frutos y Huerta (31 de January 1811–1873) was a Spaniard trader and founding father of Paniora clan in New Zealand.

Manuel José
Born	Manuel José de Frutos y Huerta (1811-01-31)31 January 1811 Valverde del Majano, Spain
Died	1873 Tikapa, New Zealand
Resting place	Taumata, New Zealand
Nationality	Spain
Other names	Paniora
Occupation	Trader
Spouse(s)	Te Herekaipuke "Tapita" Kataraina Mihita Heke Uruhana Maraea
Children	9
Parents	José de Frutos (father) María Huerta (mother)

Biography

Born Valverde del Majano in Segovia, he arrived to New Zealand around 1833 and lived much of his life as a trader among the Māori people; he is described possessing: pale skin, red hair, and green eyes. He retired to Tikapa on the Waiapu River.^[1][2] He was married to five Ngāti Porou women, and has thousands of living descendants.^[3][4][5]

Legacy

The 2014 play "Paniora" by Briar Grace-Smith was inspired by his legacy.^[6][7]