George Matthew Snelson

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George Matthew Snelson
1st Mayor of Palmerston North
In office
9 August 1877 –1879
Succeeded by James Linton
In office
1883–1884
Preceded by Frits Jenssen
Succeeded by James Linton
In office
1889–1892
Preceded by Solomon Abrahams
Succeeded by Robert Edwards
In office
1901 –31 October 1901
Preceded by Henry Haydon
Succeeded by William Thomas Wood
Personal details
Born(1837-11-22)22 November 1837
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England
Died31 October 1901(1901-10-31) (aged 63)
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Spouse(s) Louisa Matilda Buck
Childrentwo (both died as infants)

George Matthew Snelson (22 November 1837 – 31 October 1901) was the first Mayor of Palmerston North and is considered Palmerston North's founding father. He was an ironmonger, a storekeeper and a community leader. [1]

Mayor of Palmerston North Wikimedia list article

The Mayor of Palmerston North is the head of the municipal government of Palmerston North, New Zealand, and presides over the Palmerston North City Council. The current mayor is Grant Smith, who became mayor in a February 2015 by-election. This resulted from the resignation of Jono Naylor in October 2014 after his election to the House of Representatives. Since the 2013 election, Palmerston North is one of the few councils that uses the single transferable vote electoral system for the election of mayor.

Palmerston North Metropolitan area in North Island, New Zealand

Palmerston North is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatu-Wanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manawatu River, 35 km (22 mi) from the river's mouth, and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatu Gorge, about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington. Palmerston North is the country's seventh-largest city and eighth-largest urban area, with an urban population of 86,600.

Contents

Early life

Plaque on the Palmerston North City Library, commemorating Snelson's first store Palmy Library 005.JPG
Plaque on the Palmerston North City Library, commemorating Snelson's first store

Snelson was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, on 22 November 1837. His parents were James Snelson (coach manufacturer) and Mary (née Halford). He left school when he was 15 to learn the trade of ironmonger and hardware merchant in Melton Mowbray. At age 19, he moved to Bedford for new employment. [1]

Ashby-de-la-Zouch A small market town in Leicestershire, England

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, often shortened to Ashby, is an English market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, close to the Derbyshire border. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France. Its 2001 census population of 11,410 increased to 12,370 in 2011. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle had importance in the 15th–17th centuries. In the 19th century the town's main industries were ribbon manufacture, coal mining, and brickmaking. It was served by the Leicester–Burton upon Trent line of the Midland Railway from 1849. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Shellbrook to the west and Boundary to the north-west. Nearby villages include Lount, Normanton le Heath, Smisby, Packington, Donisthorpe, Oakthorpe, Moira, Measham and Coleorton. Swadlincote, Burton-upon-Trent, Melbourne and Coalville are within 10 miles (16 km), with Derby 11 1⁄2 miles (19 km) due north. Ashby lies at the heart of The National Forest, about 24 miles (39 km) south of the Peak District National Park, on the A42 between Tamworth and Nottingham.

Melton Mowbray town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England

Melton Mowbray is a town in Leicestershire, England, 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Leicester, and 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye and the River Wreake and has a population of 25,554. The town is best known for its culinary speciality, the Melton Mowbray pork pie. In addition, it includes one of the six makers of Stilton cheese. Melton Mowbray is promoted as Britain's "Rural Capital of Food".

Bedford County town of Bedfordshire, England

Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, England. The town has an estimated (2017) population of 87,590, whereas the Borough of Bedford had an estimated population of 169,912.

He came to New Zealand on 21 February 1863 aboard the Earl of Windsor, arriving in Wellington. [1] [2]

Wellington Capital city in New Zealand

Wellington is the capital city and second most populous urban area of New Zealand, with 418,500 residents. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region, which also includes the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. Its latitude is 41°17′S, making it the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed.

He married Louisa Matilda (née Buck, b. 1844 in Wellington) on 6 July 1865. [1]

Political activity

Mayor of Palmerston North

Snelson was elected mayor seven times. [3] He and his wife are regarded as the father and the mother of Palmerston North. [1] He was the mayor of Palmerston North's first council, elected unopposed on 9 August 1877. The first council had nine members. He served until 1879. [4]

He was again elected in 1883–1884, and then 1889–1892. He died during his seventh term in office in 1901. [5] [6]

On 8 November 1901, the borough councillors elected a new mayor. Two councillors contested the mayoralty, and William Thomas Wood beat Fred Pirani 6 to 4. Councillor Pirani resigned from his seat afterwards on the grounds that he had been misled. [7]

Parliamentary contender

Snelson stood for Parliament in 1879 and 1893, but was unsuccessful on both occasions. [1] [2]

Death

Snelson died at his home in Palmerston North on 31 October 1901, [8] and was buried in Terrace End Cemetery. [9] He was survived by his wife, who died on 15 December 1919 during a visit to Whanganui. [2] Snelson Street in Palmerston North is named after the Snelsons. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wigglesworth, Roger (22 June 2007). "Snelson, George Mathew 1837–1901; Snelson, Louisa Matilda 1844–1919". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wellington Provincial District – Ex-Mayors". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Wellington: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1897. p. 1147. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  3. ↑ "1900s". Palmerston North: Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "1870s". Palmerston North: Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "1880s". Palmerston North: Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "1890s". Palmerston North: Palmerston North City Council. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  7. ↑ "A Mayoral Election" (7249). Christchurch: The Star. 9 November 1901. pp. Page 4. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  8. ↑ "Death". Manawatu Standard. 2 November 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Cemetery and cremation detail". Palmerston North City Council. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
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