Harry Allwright

Last updated

Harry Allwright
Harry Allwright, 1882.jpg
Allwright in 1882
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Lyttelton
In office
4 September 1879  –15 July 1887
Personal details
Born1837
Kent, England
Died18 July 1892
Christchurch Central City, New Zealand
Political partyIndependent
Childrennone
OccupationPainter and glazier

Harry Allwright (1837 – 18 July 1892) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand. A painter and glazier by trade, he came out with his parents and siblings in the Cressy in 1850, one of the First Four Ships. He took over his father's company in 1859 and became involved in local politics. He first became Mayor of Lyttelton in 1870 and was re-elected seven times. In the 1879 New Zealand general election, he defeated the incumbent and represented the Lyttelton electorate for three parliamentary terms until his own defeat in 1887. He died in 1892.

Contents

Early life

Allwright was born in 1837. [1] He arrived in Lyttelton on the Cressy on 27 December 1850 with his parents, a brother, and some sisters. [2] He was thus one of the Canterbury Pilgrims. [3] He worked for his father, who was a painter and glazier. Upon his father Henry's death in 1859, [4] he took over the business. [1] When he was elected to parliament, his brother took over the business. [2]

Allwright was a prominent sportsman and the president of the yacht club. [1] He was an accomplished singer and regularly performed as a soloist with the Lyttelton Choral Union. [5] [6] [7] [8]

On 27 April 1866, Allwright married Matilda Lyons at the Wesleyan Chapel at Lyttelton. His wife, a widow, was also from Lyttelton [9] and had also arrived in New Zealand on the Cressy. [10]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
YearsTermElectorateParty
1879 –1881 7th Lyttelton Independent
1881 –1884 8th Lyttelton Independent
1884 –1887 9th Lyttelton Independent

He stood for the Lyttelton municipal council in January 1867 and was one of six candidates for four positions, but he came last. [11] In January 1868, he was one of eleven or twelve (sources differ) candidates for seven available positions on the municipal council, and with the second highest number of votes he was declared elected. [12] [13] His term came to an end in September 1869 and of eight candidates for six positions, he came second. [14] On 24/25 October 1870, the Lyttelton Fire destroyed two blocks along Norwich Quay, raising two-thirds of the town. [15] The mayor, John S. Willcox, lost his building and company and thus did not have the time to remain mayor. [16] At the 7 November council meeting, councillor Allwright was unanimously voted for as the new mayor [17] and re-elected at the 21 December council meeting for the coming year. [18] Allwright was Mayor of Lyttelton for seven years (1871, 1872, 1878–1882, 1887). [19] [20] He was a proponent for the Lyttelton Borough Council to build civic offices and the foundation stone for the Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers was laid in January 1887, just after Allwright's final election as mayor; his name was thus inscribed in the foundation stone: "H. Allwright, Mayor, 1887" [21]

In 1879, he successfully contested the Lyttelton electorate against the incumbent Hugh Murray-Aynsley. [22] [23] He represented Lyttelton until 1887 when he was defeated by John Joyce. [24]

Death

He died on 18 July 1892 at 277 Armagh Street, Christchurch Central City, after having been ill for several months, aged 55. [2] [25] He was married; the couple had no children. [2] His wife died in 1906. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sefton Moorhouse</span> British-born New Zealand politician

William Sefton Moorhouse was a British-born New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.

<i>Cressy</i> (ship)

Cressy was one of the "First Four Ships" in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand. Cressy was the last to arrive on 27 December.

Lyttelton is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1853 to 1890, and again from 1893 to 1996, when it was replaced by the Banks Peninsula electorate.

Richard Moore was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand and Mayor of Kaiapoi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wilson (mayor)</span> New Zealand politician (1819–1897)

William Barbour Wilson, also known as Cabbage Wilson, was the first Mayor of Christchurch in New Zealand in 1868. A nurseryman by profession, he had large landholdings in Christchurch. His reputation was dented by a fraud conviction, and when he was subsequently elected onto the city council once more, five councillors resigned in protest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sawtell</span>

Henry Sawtell was Mayor of Christchurch 1871–1872.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Bishop (mayor)</span> New Zealand politician (1811–1887)

Edward Brenchley Bishop was the fourth chairman of the Christchurch Town Council, and seven years later the sixth Mayor of Christchurch in 1872–1873. Born in Maidstone, Kent to a wealthy family, his family lived in Belgium during his childhood. He took his father's profession as a distiller and worked in London for 21 years. His sister Susannah emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 and in the following year, many Bishop siblings followed her on the Charlotte Jane, one of the First Four Ships of organised settlement of Canterbury. With his brother Frederick, he had a large farm just south of Christchurch, and the suburb of Somerfield continues to use their farm's name. The brothers were spirit merchants in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Hart (mayor)</span> New Zealand politician (died 1878)

Michael Brannan Hart was the publican of the White Hart Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand, that stood on the corner of High and Cashel Streets. It was Christchurch's first hotel. Hart, originally from Freshford, Somerset, England, was one of the first settlers of Christchurch. He was a colourful character and stood for elections to the Canterbury Provincial Council and Parliament, but was unsuccessful. He was elected onto Christchurch City Council in 1869, and was chosen as Mayor of Christchurch 1873–1874 by his fellow councillors. He gave the first chain to the Christchurch mayoral chain. He was the first mayor to wear regalia, modelled on the robes of the Lord Mayor of London. He intended to leave the robes to Christchurch City Council, but after a disagreement, he changed his will and the robes were buried with him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Prudhoe</span>

William Prudhoe was Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand, for 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Reece</span> New Zealand mayor (1856–1930)

William Reece was a New Zealand businessman and local-body politician. He served as mayor of Christchurch for the years 1900 and 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Richardson</span> New Zealand engineer, and Member of Parliament

Edward Richardson was a New Zealand civil and mechanical engineer, and Member of Parliament. Born in England, he emigrated to Australia and continued there as a railway engineer. Having become a partner in a contracting firm, a large project caused him to move to Christchurch in New Zealand, in which country he lived for the rest of his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Thomas Peacock</span> New Zealand businessman, philanthropist and politician

John Thomas Peacock MLC JP was a New Zealand businessman, philanthropist and politician. He came to Canterbury in 1844, several years before organised settlement started.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Murray-Aynsley</span> New Zealand politician (1828–1917)

Hugh Percy Murray-Aynsley was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Thomson (New Zealand politician)</span> New Zealand politician (1828–1903)

Henry Thomson JP was a 19th-century Mayor of Christchurch and Member of Parliament for the Christchurch North electorate in Canterbury, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Friedlander</span> New Zealand businessman and politician

Hugo Friedlander was a New Zealand businessman, local politician, and horse breeder from Ashburton.

The Mayor of Hokitika officiated over the borough of Hokitika in New Zealand. The office was created in 1866 when Hokitika became a municipality and a borough two years later, and ceased with the 1989 local government reforms, when Hokitika Borough and Westland County merged to form Westland District. The first Mayor of Hokitika was James Bonar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of Ashburton</span>

The Mayor of Ashburton officiates over the Ashburton District of New Zealand's South Island. The district is administered by a district council. From 1878 until the 1989 local government reforms, the area was administered by a borough council. Neil Brown is the current mayor of Ashburton; he was elected in the 2019 local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of Lyttelton</span>

The Mayor of Lyttelton was the head of the municipal government of Lyttelton, New Zealand. The position existed from 1868, when the Borough of Lyttelton was formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers</span> Civic office in Lyttelton, New Zealand

The Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers was the headoffice of the Lyttelton Borough Council from 1887 until the late 20th century, when the borough council moved to a number of other buildings. Civic use of the building stopped in 1999, when the building was sold for business and residential use. Registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 2003, the building was demolished in June 2011 following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Samuel Rollin Webb was a New Zealand businessman and local politician. He came to New Zealand with his family as a boy and took over his father's fruiterer and fruit grower business as a young man. Politically ambitious, he was mayor of Lyttelton for eight years spanning three periods. He stood for parliament on four occasions between 1881 and 1905 but was unsuccessful.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF). Vol. I. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Late Harry Allwright". The Star . No. 7337. 18 July 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "The first four ships". Christchurch City Libraries . Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "Death". Lyttelton Times . Vol. XI, no. 651. 2 February 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  5. ↑ "New Advertisements". Lyttelton Times . Vol. XXIX, no. 2270. 1 April 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Local and General". The Star . No. 361. 10 July 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "Advertisements". The Press . Vol. XV, no. 2013. 28 September 1869. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  8. ↑ Macdonald, George. "Harry Allwright". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum . Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Marriages". Lyttelton Times . Vol. XXV, no. 1686. 12 May 1866. p. 6. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Mrs Allwright". The Press . Vol. LXII, no. 12607. 25 September 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Town and country". Lyttelton Times . Vol. XXVII, no. 1890. 10 January 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Lyttelton municipal council". The Press . Vol. XII, no. 1619. 16 January 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "Municipal elections". Lyttelton Times . Vol. XXIX, no. 2206. 16 January 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "The municipal elections". The Star . No. 413. 10 September 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Archives New Zealand. "Lyttelton Fire, 1870". Flickr. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  16. ↑ "Lyttelton Borough Council". The Star . No. 763. 2 November 1870. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  17. ↑ "Lyttelton Borough Council". The Star . No. 768. 8 November 1870. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  18. ↑ "Lyttelton". The Press . Vol. XVII, no. 2387. 22 December 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Lyttelton". The Press . Vol. XVII, no. 2387. 22 December 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "Lyttelton". The Press . Vol. XVIII, no. 2697. 21 December 1871. p. 3. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  21. ↑ "Lyttelton Municipal Building". Lyttelton Times . Vol. LXVII, no. 8081. 31 January 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  22. ↑ "The General Elections". The Star . No. 3553. 30 August 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  23. ↑ "The general elections: Lyttelton election". The Star . No. 3558. 5 September 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  24. ↑ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 180. OCLC   154283103.
  25. ↑ "Death". The Star . No. 7337. 18 July 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Lyttelton
1879–1887		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
John Smith Willcox
 Mayor of Lyttelton
1870–1872
1877–1882
1886–1887		Succeeded by
Adam Chalmers
Preceded by
Dr John T. Rouse
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Adam Chalmers
Succeeded by
Samuel R. Webb
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.