Biographical entry: Pratt, Jean Peter ( - 1898)

Died
1898

Details

Frenchman Jean (Johnnie) Peter Pratt was the brother of Edmund Peter Pratt (q.v.) and seems to have joined his brother on Simbo in about 1894. He married a local woman and they had one child. His trading ketch was the William Brooks. Pratt died in 1898 as a result of injuries from an axe attack by Sito from Vella Lavella. Jean Peter's brother Edmund had agreed to exchange a rifle for a quantity of copra supplied by Sito, but then broke the agreement after Resident Commissioner Woodford (q.v.) forbade trading in firearms. He offered Sito trade goods instead. Sito vowed to avenge this broken agreement and when he was trading with Jean Peter some time later he purchased an axe and used it to attack him. Axe heads were usually sold separately from handles but in this case Jean Paul sold the two pieces assembled, to his cost. (Golden 1993, 218-219)

Published resources

Books

  • Golden, Graeme A., The Early European Settlers of the Solomon Islands, Graeme A. Golden, Melbourne, 1993. Details