Thomas William Porter (born Thomas William Potter;[1] 2 August 1843 – 12 November 1920) was a New Zealand soldier and land purchase officer.
Thomas William Porter | |
|---|---|
 Colonel T. W. Porter | |
| Born | Thomas William Potter 2 August 1843 Surrey, England |
| Died | 12 November 1920 (aged 77) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Burial place | Karori Cemetery |
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He was born in Streatham, Surrey, England in 1843. He married Herewaka Porourangi Potai. Their children included the singer and composer Fanny Rose Howie[1] and their grandchildren included Rona Hurley.
He was some time, before retiring in 1908, Acting Undersecretary for Defense. He was also vice-chairman of the Historical Section of the Wellington Philosophical Society. He was the author of a book on the East Coast Maori legends. He also completed a history of the Maori war with Te Kooti.
In 1878 he was elected mayor of Gisborne.[2] He was re-elected unopposed in 1879 and 1880.[3] He had intended to contest the East Coast electorate in the 1879 election but pulled out shortly before.[4] In 1880 he was challenged for the mayoralty by former mayor William Fitzgerald Crawford, and won by just three votes.[3][5] He retired the mayoralty in order to run for parliament in the 1881 election,[6] in which he placed third.[7] He returned to the mayoralty unopposed in 1883.[3] He retired again in 1884 and endorsed recently defeated MP Cecil de Lautour for the mayoralty.[8][9] He was elected mayor again in 1886 following the resignation of Allan McDonald.[10]
The day before his death on 12 November 1920, parliament had passed a bill to award Porter with a permanent pension of £200 a year.[11]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Crawford, J. A. B. "Thomas William Porter". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ "CORRESPONDENCE". Te Waka Maori. Papers Past. 7 December 1878.
- ^ a b c "ELECTION OF MAYOR". Poverty Bay Herald. Papers Past. 14 November 1883.
- ^ "ELECTORAL MEETING". Poverty Bay Herald. Papers Past. 26 August 1879.
- ^ "THE MAYORAL ELECTIONS". New Zealand Mail. Papers Past. 4 December 1880.
- ^ "LOCAL AND GENERAL". Poverty Bay Herald. Papers Past. 14 November 1881.
- ^ "EAST COAST ELECTION". Poverty Bay Standard. Papers Past. 10 December 1881.
- ^ "Local and General". Poverty Bay Standard. Papers Past. 28 October 1884.
- ^ "LATEST Telegraphic". New Zealand Mail. Papers Past. 31 October 1884.
- ^ "Untitled". Daily Telegraph. Papers Past. 27 November 1886.
- ^ "COLONEL PORTER". Hawera and Normanby Star. Papers Past. 13 November 1920.
External links edit
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