 After visiting New Plymouth in late 1844, FitzRoy formally set aside Spain's award, acknowledging that the land had been sold without the approval of the absentees.He substituted it for a 1400ha block that became known as the "Fitzroy block", which included the town site and only the immediate surrounding area.Many settlers who had taken up land outside the Fitzroy block were thus forced to move back within its boundaries, fostering widespread hostility towards FitzRoy.