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4 unusual facts about William Marsters


William Marsters

Palmerston Islanders still pride themselves on their British heritage – they fly the British flag on special occasions – have large photos of Queen Elizabeth in their homes, and remember fondly the visits of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

A handful of his descendants continue to live on Palmerston Island, while the majority now live in Rarotonga, or elsewhere in the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia.

William Marsters (born Richard Masters) (6 November 1831 – 22 May 1899) was an English adventurer from Walcote, Leicestershire who settled on Palmerston Island in the Cook Islands on 8 July 1863, with his Polynesian wife and two Polynesian mistresses.

He first settled in Penrhyn, the most Northern of the Cook Islands.



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