Editing John Beaglehole (section)

==Early life and career==
John Cawte Beaglehole was born 13 June 1901, in [[Wellington]], New Zealand, the second son of David Ernest Beaglehole, a clerk, and his wife Jane ([[Birth name#Maiden and married names|née]] Butler).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beaglehole |first=Tim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bj_upLQ80LwC |title=A Life of J. C. Beaglehole: New Zealand Scholar |publisher=Victoria University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780864735355 |pages=8–9 |access-date=14 February 2025}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite ODNB|last=McCormick|first=E. H.|year=2004|title=Beaglehole, John Cawte|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30800}}</ref> John had one elder brother (Geoffrey) and two younger brothers (Keith and Ernest). [[Ernest Beaglehole]] became a psychologist and ethnologist. John was educated at Mount Cook School and [[Wellington College (New Zealand)|Wellington College]] before being enrolled at [[Victoria University of Wellington|Victoria University College, Wellington]] of the [[University of New Zealand]], which later became an independent university, and where he subsequently spent most of his academic career. After his graduation, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the [[London School of Economics]], and left for England in 1926.

After three years of post-graduate study Beaglehole obtained his PhD with a thesis on British colonial history. At this time he was much influenced by left-wing teachers, especially [[R. H. Tawney]] and [[Harold Laski]], and on returning to New Zealand he found it difficult to obtain an academic post owing to his radical views. For a time he had various jobs including a spell as a [[Workers' Educational Association]] lecturer, and had time to develop other enthusiasms including civil rights issues, writing poetry, and music, an interest inherited from his mother. In 1932 he took a temporary position as a lecturer in history at [[University of Auckland|Auckland University College]], but within months the position was abolished in a retrenchment by the college council. Many believed the decision was due more to the college's reaction to Beaglehole's reputation (albeit exaggerated) for radicalism.<ref name="DNZB John Beaglehole">{{DNZB|Beaglehole |Tim |5b16|Beaglehole, John Cawte |28 April 2012||Tim Beaglehole}}</ref> His academic career finally took off in 1934 after the publication of his first major book, ''The Exploration of the Pacific'', after which he developed his specialist interest in James Cook. He became lecturer, later professor, at the Victoria University College.

He married Elsie Mary Holmes on 17 February 1930, and they had three sons.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Beaglehole 2006, p. 152.</ref>