The Wakefields were charlatans. EGW was an opportunist who was prepared to bend if nt break the law in order to achieve his ends. We know he kidnapped a 15 year old to ransom her back to her family and served three years in gaol for his efforts. He wrote false accounts (from prison) of his settlement in Sydney to newspapers and then leveraged this 'experience' to convince financial backers of the vialbility of the New Zealand company.
His idea relied on many things, a ready supply of cheap land being an essential part of the plan. His belief in 'Sufficient Price' was unshakeable although it never seemed to work anywhere. The fact that so few of his "slice of Britain' actually emigrated to the colony made this scheme almost impossible to operate in the way intended.
MORE TO FOLLOW
He did apparently push the Colonial Office into a Treaty with the Maori.
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