New Zealand politician
Thomas Edward Taylor
(16 June 1862 ? 27 July 1911) was a
Christchurch mayor
, New Zealand
Member of Parliament
, businessman and prohibitionist (advocate of temperance).
Early life
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Taylor was born on 16 June 1862 in
Kirton in Lindsey
,
Lincolnshire
,
England
, the son of Edward Taylor and his wife, Anne Turner. The Taylors emigrated to New Zealand in 1873, arriving at
Lyttelton
on the
Cardigan Castle
on 15 November. They settled in
Addington
. Taylor briefly continued his education at
Christchurch West School
but left in 1874 for employment.
[1]
For nearly 20 years, Taylor was employed by Heywood and Co (forwarding agents) and was their manager for several years. In February 1895, he became self-employed as a real estate agent and importer.
[2]
Political life
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Member of Parliament
[
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Taylor stood in the
City of Christchurch by-election
on 13 February 1896 against
Charles Lewis
and
Richard Molesworth Taylor
. Lewis won with a majority of 402 votes, with Tommy Taylor coming second.
[3]
[4]
He contested the
City of Christchurch electorate
at the
1896 general election
in December and this time was returned as a
Member of Parliament
. He held this seat until 1899 and from
1902
to 1905.
Taylor contested the
Christchurch North
electorate in the
1905 general election
, but lost against
Charles Gray
. He contested this seat again and represented Christchurch North from
1908
to 27 July 1911.
Taylor sat as an Independent Liberal-Labour MP and received endorsement from the Labour movement.
His death caused a
by-election
, which was won by
Leonard Isitt
.
Independent MP
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Taylor was an
Independent
MP. In 1905 he became the leader of the
New Liberal Party
. He opposed the Premier
Richard Seddon
of the
Liberal Party
over government corruption, and Seddon's support for the Licensed Trade (i.e., the Liquor Industry) and the
Boer War
in
South Africa
. Other
Independent
MPs associated with Taylor were
George Laurenson
,
Leonard Isitt
,
Harry Bedford
and
Francis Fisher
.
Mayor of Christchurch
[
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]
Tommy Taylor grave at
Addington Cemetery
Taylor was an advocate of "Municipal Socialism" and was endorsed by the
Labour Party
in his campaign for the
Christchurch mayoralty
in 1911, but he never joined a labour organisation.
On 27 April 1911, he was elected Mayor of Christchurch, defeating the incumbent,
Charles Allison
, and
Henry Thacker
.
[9]
Taylor died shortly thereafter on 27 July 1911. His funeral was the largest ever known in Christchurch.
[10]
Life outside politics
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Taylor was a successful importer and estate agent in Christchurch. He married
Elizabeth Best Ellison
in 1892. They had five daughters, and one son,
Edward Bickmore Ellison Taylor
, who was a member of the
Christchurch City Council
between 1968 and 1971.
Taylor died of a perforated gastric ulcer at Christchurch on 27 July 1911. Such was the respect he commanded that 50,000 people lined the streets of the city for his funeral procession.
James McCombs
, Secretary of the Christchurch Prohibition League and later a
Labour Party
MP, paid tribute to his co-worker and friend:
He had a worldwide outlook. There was no country, no nation, no social movement that did not command his interest. He had a passion for freedom, and his whole career was inspired by the desire that men should have the fullest opportunity for untrammelled development.
His wife died in April 1941.
[11]
Further reading
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- The Fighting Man: a Study of the Life and Times of T.E. Taylor
by Nellie F.H. MacLeod (1964, Dunbar and Summers, Christchurch)
- The New Liberal Party 1905
by G.F. Whitcher (1966, MA (Hons) thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch)
References
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]
- Notes
- Sources
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International
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National
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Other
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Civic offices
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Companies and assets
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CCHL
(ownership percentage)
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other assets
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former assets
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Services
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Chairman (1862?1868)
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Mayors
(1868?present)
| elected by councillors
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elected at large
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Mayoral elections
| annual term
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biennial term
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triennial term
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- † Elected unopposed
- ‡ By-election
- 1
appointed following death of incumbent
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