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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.

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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.

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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.

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



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