Muriwhenua - Roberton's Account (Including Irohanga and Te Riunui)

The following is a representation of Muriwhenua as documented by JBW Roberton Maori Settlement of the Waikato District (Rev.ed. 1983).  The original edition was published in 1965.  His chief informant was Tita Wetere of Ngati Hikairo; and he also received information from Tita's father, Taui Wetere.

• Parengaope was first married to Umukiwhakatane, and after his death she became the wife of Te Ahooterangi, his younger brother.   Muriwhenua is hence, her son from a later marriage.
• He says both families of Parengaope are known as Ngati Hourua and had close associations with Ngati Maniapoto.  This is probably based on Parengaope being the son of Te Kanawa
• He marks the mid 1700s as a time when Te Ahooterangi was beheaded at Kawhia.  [author note : he has based this on generations, this can never be more than an estimate/ educated guess, though this needs to be kept in mind, when deciding a punative range of birth dates for Muriwhenua; there is inuendo that Te Ahooterangi was an aged man when he fathered Muriwhenua]
• Near the end of the 1700s, an aged Hikairo joins Ngati Hourua in a battle against Ngati Whakaue and Ngati Raukawa, at Pukerimu near Cambridge.  Ngati Hourua were defeated and Irohanga and Te Riunui were killed.  Muriwhenua was caught but spared. 
• Roberton is quite specific which Muriwhenua this is; ie: son of Parengaope by her second husband, Te Ahooterangi. 
• Roberton makes no mention of Paora Muriwhenua, as son of Irohanga; and refers only to two of his sons; Maungatautari and Wahanui as listed in the above table.  

To Summarise -  Roberton places Te Ahooterangi's death date in the 1850s - 1860s; so Muriwhenua would have had to have been born before then.  I reiterate that these times are only estimations to fit into a wider chronological framework that Roberton himself has created.  This framework commences at an estimated arrival date of the Tainui Waka at 1350; and works his timeline from that commencement.  I think a more reliable timeline should commence from the Land court period - from thence backwards to the Missionary Period, when dates were first documented, and then by generation to go further back from that point.