Charles Elliott (New Zealand politician)

Charles Elliott (22 September 1811 – 5 July 1876) was a New Zealand politician and newspaper proprietor.[1]

Charles Elliott
Elliott (year unknown)
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Waimea
In office
5 Nov 1855 – 20 Mar 1858
Personal details
Born(1811-09-22)22 September 1811
Barnstaple, North Devon, England
Died5 July 1876(1876-07-05) (aged 64)
Nelson, New Zealand
Political partyIndependent

Commercial career

Elliott was born in Barnstaple in North Devon in 1811.[2] He and his brother James came to New Zealand on the Mary Jane; the ship left the West India Docks in London in September 1841 and arrived in Nelson Harbour on 10 February 1842.[3][4] Having brought a printing press with him,[5] Elliott established The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle in 1842; this was the first newspaper in the South Island.[1] In August 1842, he opened a bookshop in Nelson, one of the first in New Zealand.[6] He held a sheep station in the Awatere Valley.[7] He was particularly interested in horse racing and wrote for other publications under the pen name "Cheval".[5] He published texts written by the suffragist Mary Müller, to whom he was related through marriage, in his newspaper.[8]

Political career

Elliott was elected to the first Nelson Provincial Council for the Wairau electorate and held the post from 10 August 1853 to 1 August 1857, and represented the electorate in the second council from 9 October 1857 to 18 October 1859. He then represented the Amuri electorate from 7 April 1860 to 29 November 1861. He lastly represented the Nelson electorate from 23 February 1863 to 27 March 1865.[9] In parallel, he represented the Awatere electorate in the Marlborough Provincial Council from 16 April 1860 to 16 October 1861.[10]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1855–1858 2nd Waimea Independent

On 5 November 1855, Elliott—alongside William Travers—was elected unopposed to represent the Waimea electorate in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament.[11] Elliott resigned before the end of his term on 20 March 1858. He did not serve in any subsequent Parliaments,[12] although he stood unsuccessfully in the 1873 by-election for the Suburbs of Nelson.[13]

Later life

Elliott's newspaper had to be shut down in 1874. He subsequently took on the role of immigration officer for Nelson Province. He died on 5 July 1876 in Nelson from a stroke.[5] Elliott Street, and the Elliott Street heritage precinct (which also comprises parts of Trafalgar and Collingwood streets) was named after him.[14]

Notes
  1. "Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle". PapersPast. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  2. "Charles Elliott". Find a Grave. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  3. Scholefield 1940, p. 229.
  4. "List of ships which have entered Nelson Haven". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Vol. I, no. 1. 12 March 1842. p. 4. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  5. "Sudden death of Mr. Chas. Elliott". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. XI, no. 166. 5 July 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  6. Harwood, Nicola. "Literary Nelson – books and newspapers". The Prow. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  7. Scholefield 1940, pp. 229f.
  8. Dalziel, Raewyn. "Müller, Mary Anne". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  9. Scholefield 1950, p. 212.
  10. Scholefield 1950, p. 206.
  11. "Election of members to represent the Waimea districts". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Vol. XIV. 7 November 1855. p. 2. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  12. Wilson 1985, p. 274.
  13. "Suburbs election". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. VIII, no. 115. 14 May 1863. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  14. Bathgate, Janet. "Elliott Street heritage precinct". The Prow. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

References
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