Kimball Bent (24 August 1837 – 22 May 1916), also known as Kimble Bent, was a soldier and adventurer, who deserted from the British Army during the New Zealand Wars and lived for several years among the Maori people of New Zealand.
Bent was born in Eastport, Maine USA. He ran away to sea at 17 and spent three years travelling the Atlantic seaboard as a sailor/ gunner in the US Navy. He returned to Eastport but was restless and sailed to Liverpool, England. Penniless and seeking adventure on 18 October 1859 he enlisted in the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot in the British Army. He served in India and his unit was posted to New Zealand in 1861. His record was dubious, and he was repeatedly disciplined for various military infractions including disobedience and drunkenness. This discipline included a prison sentence in Wellington, and receiving lashes in front of his company. Bent accordingly decided to desert in June 1865 while serving in Taranaki.
Bent was found by a local Māori chief of the Ngāti Ruanuiiwi in South Taranaki and eventually became accepted as a part of the local tribe. He fell in with Tītokowaru's followers in 1867 and fought with them against the colonists in what has become known as Tītokowaru's War until their eventual defeat in 1869.
Bent then went into hiding first in the backblocks of Taranaki and later in Wairau, Blenheim. He spent his remaining years working in several trades including as a builder, fisherman, horticulturist, tattooist, traditional healer using Maori medicine and even a confectioner. He remained a wanted deserter with a reward on his head for many years, but eventually the authorities stopped looking for him. In 1903 he was rediscovered, and a book was written about his life by James Cowan. Entitled The adventures of Kimble Bent: a story of wild life in the New Zealand bush, it was something of sensation at the time.
He died in Wairau Hospital on 22 May 1916.[1] and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Omaka Cemetery. The location of his grave in this cemetery is only known to descendants of the family whom he lived with in his final years.[2]
More recently, his tale has been fictionalised by New Zealand author Maurice Shadbolt in his 1990 historical novel Monday's Warriors and in the 2011 graphic novel, Kimble Bent Malcontent: The Wild Adventures of a Runaway Soldier in Old-Time New Zealand by Chris Grosz.
Referencesedit
^"Renegade and Outlaw". Auckland Star. 17 June 1916. p. 13. Retrieved 28 January 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Resting spot to remain a secret". Stuff. 26 September 2012.
Further readingedit
Belich, James (1989). I Shall Not Die: Titokowaru's War, New Zealand 1868–1869. Wellington: Allen & Unwin New Zealand Limited.
Oliver, W.H. "Bent, Kimble, 1837–1916: Soldier, deserter, Pakeha-Maori, character". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 3 December 2005.
Cowan, James (1911) "The Adventures of Kimble Bent: A Story of Wild Life in the New Zealand Bush". full text online.
Grosz, C. Kimble Bent Malcontent: The Wild Adventures of a Runaway Soldier in Old-Time New Zealand Random House New Zealand Limited 2011. ISBN978 1 86979 516 0.
External linksedit
Find a grave
Media related to Kimball Bent at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
kimball, bent, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, january, 2020, learn, when, remove, this, message, august, 1837. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message Kimball Bent 24 August 1837 22 May 1916 also known as Kimble Bent was a soldier and adventurer who deserted from the British Army during the New Zealand Wars and lived for several years among the Maori people of New Zealand Kimble BentBirth nameKimball BentBorn 1837 08 24 24 August 1837Eastport Maine United StatesDied22 May 1916 1916 05 22 aged 78 Blenheim Marlborough New ZealandBuriedOmaka CemeteryMilitary careerAllegianceBritish EmpireService wbr branchBritish ArmyYears of service1859 1865RankPrivate rank Unit57th West Middlesex Regiment of FootBattles warsIndian Mutiny New Zealand Wars Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksBiography editBent was born in Eastport Maine USA He ran away to sea at 17 and spent three years travelling the Atlantic seaboard as a sailor gunner in the US Navy He returned to Eastport but was restless and sailed to Liverpool England Penniless and seeking adventure on 18 October 1859 he enlisted in the 57th West Middlesex Regiment of Foot in the British Army He served in India and his unit was posted to New Zealand in 1861 His record was dubious and he was repeatedly disciplined for various military infractions including disobedience and drunkenness This discipline included a prison sentence in Wellington and receiving lashes in front of his company Bent accordingly decided to desert in June 1865 while serving in Taranaki Bent was found by a local Maori chief of the Ngati Ruanui iwi in South Taranaki and eventually became accepted as a part of the local tribe He fell in with Titokowaru s followers in 1867 and fought with them against the colonists in what has become known as Titokowaru s War until their eventual defeat in 1869 Bent then went into hiding first in the backblocks of Taranaki and later in Wairau Blenheim He spent his remaining years working in several trades including as a builder fisherman horticulturist tattooist traditional healer using Maori medicine and even a confectioner He remained a wanted deserter with a reward on his head for many years but eventually the authorities stopped looking for him In 1903 he was rediscovered and a book was written about his life by James Cowan Entitled The adventures of Kimble Bent a story of wild life in the New Zealand bush it was something of sensation at the time He died in Wairau Hospital on 22 May 1916 1 and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Omaka Cemetery The location of his grave in this cemetery is only known to descendants of the family whom he lived with in his final years 2 More recently his tale has been fictionalised by New Zealand author Maurice Shadbolt in his 1990 historical novel Monday s Warriors and in the 2011 graphic novel Kimble Bent Malcontent The Wild Adventures of a Runaway Soldier in Old Time New Zealand by Chris Grosz References edit Renegade and Outlaw Auckland Star 17 June 1916 p 13 Retrieved 28 January 2020 via NewspaperArchive Resting spot to remain a secret Stuff 26 September 2012 Further reading editBelich James 1989 I Shall Not Die Titokowaru s War New Zealand 1868 1869 Wellington Allen amp Unwin New Zealand Limited Oliver W H Bent Kimble 1837 1916 Soldier deserter Pakeha Maori character Dictionary of New Zealand Biography Retrieved 3 December 2005 Biography in 1966 New Zealand Encyclopaedia Shadbolt Maurice 1990 Monday s Warriors United Kingdom Bloomberg Publishing Ltd Cowan James 1911 The Adventures of Kimble Bent A Story of Wild Life in the New Zealand Bush full text online Grosz C Kimble Bent Malcontent The Wild Adventures of a Runaway Soldier in Old Time New Zealand Random House New Zealand Limited 2011 ISBN 978 1 86979 516 0 External links editFind a grave nbsp Media related to Kimball Bent at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kimball Bent amp oldid 1193176104, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
