By John O'Hare

Wooden crosses, salvaged from the wreck of HMS Buffalo near Whitianga, have been presented to the descendants of French-Canadian dissident Francois Prieur in Quebec. 

Two small wooden crosses made from timber washed up onto the beach over the years from the wreck of HMS Buffalo off Whitianga were presented to the descendants of 19th century French-Canadian dissident Francois Prieur at a special ceremony held in Quebec recently.  

Ronald Prieur and Gilles Boismenu – both descendants of the man who took part in an armed insurrection against British rule in Quebec in 1838, and who was subsequently transported to Australia on HMS Buffalo as punishment – spoke movingly about their ancestor and what the crosses mean to the family at a ceremony held at St Polycarpe Church in Quebec on Patriot’s Day (May 22).  

In his memoir, Francois Prieur had expressed the desire that a small cross be made from the timber of the ship that transported him and which caused he and his fellow dissidents so much misery – much like, “a wounded man preserves as a memento the bullet or piece of shrapnel that has been extracted from his lacerated flesh.”  

Six months after Prieur arrived in Australia, HMS Buffalo – the ship that had caused so much distress – was shipwrecked off what is now known as Buffalo Beach at Whitianga.  

This year, 185 years after his conviction, Francois Prieur’s wish was fulfilled as a result of a community-led initiative by the Mercury Bay Museum and the HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project with support from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. 

“With permission, volunteers from the Whitianga Menzshed made three small wooden crosses from a timber of HMS Buffalo that washed up onto the beach over the years,” says Mercury Bay Museum Manager Rebecca Cox.  

“These were blessed with support from the local Roman Catholic community before they began their journey to Canada where they were presented on May 22.” 

Gilles Boisemenu spoke for many family members at the ceremony.  

“I thank Saint Polycarpe for welcoming me on the special day of Patriots Day in tribute to Patriot Francois Xavieur Prieur, my great, great grandfather... A special thank you to New Zealand for this contribution to this event with the crosses that are a reflection of what Francois Xavieur Prieur was – being a man of faith, belief, resilience and perseverance,” he said.  

An excerpt from Prieur’s journal about his harrowing experiences aboard HMS Buffalo was read by Andre Goulet, the Treasurer of the Society for the Reenactment of Lower Canada.  

The ceremony also received official recognition from Aotearoa New Zealand with a message from the High Commissioner of New Zealand, Martin Harvey, which was read out at the gathering:  

“We are honoured to share in this valuable piece of New Zealand, Canadian and Quebec history today. The ties between our nations are broad and rich and this ceremony today is an important way of celebrating our enduring friendship. We offer our best wishes and congratulations to the descendants of Francois Prieur who have kept the memory of the 144 patriot exiles almost 183 years ago and the hardships they endured,” he wrote.  

The ceremony ended with a speech from Samuel Pineault, co-producer of the documentary Land of a Thousand Sorrows Revisited, which has done much to increase awareness of the story of the French dissidents and HMS Buffalo. Screenings of the documentary last year in Aotearoa New Zealand organised by documentary maker Deke Richards inspired, in part, the Whitianga community’s plan to make the crosses and present them to descendants of Prieur in accordance with his wish.  

The event concluded with a symbolic firing by members of the Society for the Reenactment of Lower Canada to honour the Patriots.