George Morris (New Zealand politician)
George Morris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Tauranga | |
| In office 1881–1885 | |
| Succeeded by | John Sheehan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Bentham Morris 1839 Oatlands, Tasmania, Australia |
| Died | (aged 63) Onehunga, New Zealand |
George Bentham Morris (1839 – 16 April 1903) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand.
Early life
[edit]Morris was born in Oatlands, Van Diemen's Land in 1839, the son of Susan Emma Waudby and Reverend George Sculthorpe Morris.[1] He joined the marines after leaving school, and eventually arrived in New Zealand in 1870, settling in Auckland.[2]
Political career
[edit]| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876–1879 | 6th | East Coast | Independent | ||
| 1881–1884 | 8th | Tauranga | Independent | ||
| 1884–1885 | 9th | Tauranga | Independent | ||
Morris represented the Tauranga electorate in the Auckland Provincial Council from 12 November 1873 until the abolition of provincial government on 31 October 1876.[3] He represented the East Coast electorate in the House of Representatives from 1876 (when he was declared elected on a petition) to 1879, when he was defeated.[4]
The 1881 election in the newly formed Tauranga electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nominated: Morris; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; George Vesey Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.[5] Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead.[6] The unofficial results were released the day after the election (Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December.[7] This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes.[8] Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor.[9]
He represented the Tauranga electorate until 1885, when he resigned.[4]
He was later a member of the Legislative Council, from 15 May 1885 until his death.[10] He died at his home in Onehunga on 16 April 1903, aged 63, as a result of tripping and sustaining a blow to his temple.[11] He was buried at Waikaraka Cemetery, Onehunga.[12]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Morris, George Bentham". Colonial Tasmanian Family Links. Libraries Tasmania. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Obituary". Taranaki Herald. Vol. 50, no. 12235. 17 April 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 185.
- ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 221.
- ^ "Nomination of Candidates for the Tauranga Electorate". Bay of Plenty Times. Vol. X, no. 1152. 30 November 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- ^ "The Bay of Plenty Times". Vol. X, no. 1158. 7 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "The Bay of Plenty Times". Vol. X, no. 1161. 10 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Declaration of the Poll for the Tauranga Electorate". Bay of Plenty Times. Vol. X, no. 1164. 14 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Rorke, Jinty. "George Vesey Stewart". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 159.
- ^ "The Hon. Captain Morris". New Zealand Herald. Vol. 40, no. 12263. 6 May 1903. p. 2 (supplement). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Record for George Bentham Morris". Auckland Council. Retrieved 8 June 2021.