now inhabit Palmerston. Thus, Palmerston Island is the only island in the Cook Islands for which English is the native language. Palmerston was annexed by the British Empire on 23 May 1891 and in 1892, the British Government granted William a 21-year lease which was extended until 1954. Palmerston came under New Zealand administration in 1901. William Marsters, originally thought to have come from Leicestershire, England, is now believed to have come from Gloucestershire, which might explain why his descendants now spell the name "Marsters" due to the Gloucestershire accent. By the time his youngest daughter Titana Tangi died in 1973, there were over a thousand of Marsters' descendants living in Rarotonga and New Zealand. Though only some 50 family members remain on Palmerston, all of Marsters' descendants consider the island their ancestral home. In 1954 the family was granted full ownership of the island. Three branches of the family remain on Palmerston, each branch being descended from one of William's three wives, marriage within a family group being prohibited. All of William's wives came from Tongareva and there are still many family links and common ancestors between these atolls. Governance Palmerston is administered by the Cook Islands government, through the Palmerston Island Administration (PIA), in association with New Zealand. The Island's Council consists of six members, the three heads of each family and three other members appointed by each family. The Mayor is Bill Marsters. See also Scratch My Arse Rock, a fishing spot supposedly named by Marsters References External links The English legacy of Palmerston Island Cook Islands website page on Palmerston Island Revised 20 January 2007 Jane's Cook Islands website page on Palmerston Island Revised 30 November 2007 5 Most Isolated Communities at The End of The Earth Palmerston Island Photos from a 1973 visit Map of Palmerston Island Maps of all the Cook Islands with Palmerston Atolls of the Cook Islands