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Archives New Zealand

April 2018

In this guide

British Consul Deeds

1856-1915

Imperial German Samoa

Files 1900-1914

Land and Titles Commission

1903-1921

High Court Case Files

1914-1920

Other Research Tips

Samoan Administration

Timeline

Archives New Zealand

Head Office

10 Mulgrave Street,

PO Box 12 050, Thorndon

Wellington 6144

Telephone:04 499 5595

Auckland Regional Office

95 Richard Pearse Drive, Mangere

PO Box 201 103,

AucklandAirport, Manukau 2150

Telephone: 09 270 1100

Christchurch Regional Office

90 Peterborough Street,

PO Box 642, Christchurch 8140

Telephone: 03 377 0760

Dunedin Regional Office

556 George Street,

PO Box 6183, Dunedin North

Dunedin 9059

Telephone: 03 477 0404

Websites:

SamoanLand

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Info Sheet13 – SamoanLand – July 2012 Archives New Zealand

Archives New Zealand holds some historical records relating to the sale and purchase of land in Samoa.However wedo notholdany copies of the Land and Titles registers. Theseare held by the Land and Titles Court in Apia.What we hold is patchy and spread across the records of the various administrations that governed Samoa (timeline over the page).

British ConsulDeeds1856-1915

British purchasers of land, including traders and missionaries, registered their purchases with the British Consul.These are recorded in Volumes 8-12 of the British Consul Deeds Registersand the WPHC Lands Register. Theyare copies of the original Deeds and contain the names of the parties and where they were from, the date, location and boundaries, the amount paid, andthe names of witnesses.

  • Use the Indexes to find a name/s.Volumes 8-10(1856-1876) are indexed in Volume 1 and 2.Volumes11-12 (1876-1915) contain their own Indexes
  • Note the register and folio numbers given in the Index. The register number is actually the Deed number.For example, ‘Talauega to Powell, Register No.350 Folio 302’ refers to Deed No.350, and willbe in Volume 9.
  • If the Index says ‘Land Register’ then the Deed is recorded in the Lands Registerand not the BSC6 Volumes.

Indexes to the Deeds Registers

  • Samoa-BCS6 – Volume 1. pp.201-240, covers 1857-1872(Micro 4007)
  • Samoa-BCS6 – Volume 2. pp.152-193, covers 1871-1876 (Micro 4008)

Deeds Registers

  • Deeds Register Volume 8, Deeds 1 to 176, 1856-1860(Micro 3606)
  • Deeds Register Volume 9, Deeds 177 to 479, 1860-1867(Micro 3606)
  • Deeds Register Volume 10, Deeds 480 to 830, 1867-1873(Micro 3607)
  • Deeds Register Volume 11, Deeds 831 to 1099, 1873-1879(Micro 3607)
  • Deeds Register Volume 12, Deeds 2000 to 4612, 1879-1915(Micro 3609)

Imperial German Samoa Files 1900-1914

Some land files can be found inrecords of the Imperial German Administration of Samoa. The files are mainly in German and are fragile, so most are on microfilm (although some have been digitised). A basicindex to the filescan befound at the back of the Samoa paper finding aid.Series 6051contains some files onpurchases of land, registration, estates, cultivations and plantations, and can be found using the term ‘land’ inan advanced search on Archway.

Land and Titles Commission Files 1903-1921

In 1903 a commission was set up to investigate titles to land.Series 6070: Registers of Land Files (1903-1921) has two registers, one in Samoan and one in German (Micro 5956). Arranged by case number (LK1 to 610)they give names, area under disputeand decisions made. Series 6071Register of Decisions (1903-1911) also records decisions. Series 6080 Papers Relating to Land(1902-1913)(Micro 5953)containscorrespondence oncases, sometimes with the LK number found in Series 6070 and 6071.

High Court Case Files 1914-1920

Series 18976 (Samoa-BMO4) containsGerman High Court case files that the British Military Occupation took over in 1914. Most of the records are in German, although there are post-1914 records in English. The most relevant files relating to land appear to be C: Property Disputes(1900-1920), although Arbitration and Inheritancecases also deal with land.The records are not indexed but are organised by year, so knowing the date of the dispute or inheritance is ideal.

Other research tips: Try searching the name of the village or district on Archway (village files from Series 18973 have been digitised and can be viewed online). Also try family surnames (most will be Immigration files however). Use the Index at the back of the Samoa paper finding aid in the Reading Room.

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Info Sheet 9 – Valuation Rolls – November 2011Archives New Zealand

Samoan Administration Timeline

Records relating to the Governmental administration of Samoa have been generated by several countries since as early as 1847. The following agencies were based in Western Samoa with responsibility for the provision of administrative services in Western Samoa on behalf of their respective countries.