Charles H. Mills
Charles Houghton Mills (1843 – 3 April 1923) was a member of parliament for Waimea and Wairau, in the South Island of New Zealand.
Charles H. Mills | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Customs | |
| In office 29 October 1900 – 6 August 1906 | |
| Prime Minister | Richard Seddon William Hall-Jones |
| Preceded by | Richard Seddon |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Hogg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1843 Nelson, New Zealand |
| Died | 3 April 1923 (aged 79–80) New Zealand |
| Nationality | Blenheim, New Zealand |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Margaret Morrison (m. 1871) |
| Relations | Haddon Donald (great-grandson)[1] |
Early life
Mills was born in Nelson.[2] His father was Richard Mills, who arrived in Nelson in 1841 on the Lord Auckland.[3] The family moved to Wellington in the early 1850s, where his father was Governor of the gaol, and where Charles Mills was educated.[3][4] He was a pupil teacher at Te Aro school.[4] He went to sea for some years, and then worked in mining and farming.[3] Later, Mills was a commission agent.[2]
Mills settled in Havelock in 1871 and married Margaret, a daughter of John Morrison, in the same year.[3][5]
Member of Parliament
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890–1893 | 11th | Waimea-Picton | Liberal | ||
| 1893–1896 | 12th | Waimea-Sounds | Liberal | ||
| 1896–1899 | 13th | Wairau | Liberal | ||
| 1899–1902 | 14th | Wairau | Liberal | ||
| 1902–1905 | 15th | Wairau | Liberal | ||
| 1905–1908 | 16th | Wairau | Liberal | ||
The 1887 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Arthur Seymour, Joseph Harkness and Mills, who received 446, 444 and 415 votes, respectively. Seymour was thus elected.[6]
The 1890 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Mills, Richmond Hursthouse and William Henry Phillips, who received 936, 728 and 80 votes, respectively.[7] Mills was thus elected and represented the electorate until the end of the term in 1893. He then represented the successor electorates of Waimea-Sounds (1893–1896) and Wairau (1896–1908) in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[8] The 1896 general election was contested by the incumbent Lindsay Buick and Mills, who received 2014 and 2072 votes, respectively. Mills thus succeeded Buick in Wairau.[9]
Mills served as the Liberal Party's Senior Whip from 1894 until his elevation to cabinet in 1900.[10] He was Minister of Trade and Customs between 1900 and 1906 and Minister of Immigration in 1906.[8]
He was a member of the Provincial Council and Marlborough County Council, and of the Legislative Council between 1909 and 1916.[11]
Death
Mills died on 3 April 1923 and was buried at Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.[4][12] He was survived by his wife.[4]
Notes
- Hyslop, Liam (11 April 2013). "Our oldest MP returns to Parliament". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- Hamer 1988, p. 365.
- Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "The Hon. Charles Houghton Mills". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- "Hon C H Mills". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. XLII. 5 April 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- William Jackson Barry (1897). "Mr. C. H. Mills". Past and Present, and Men of the Times. Christchurch: McKee and Gamble. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- "Waimea-Picton election". Colonist. Vol. XXX, no. 5024. 6 October 1887. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- "Waimea-Picton". Colonist. Vol. XXXIV, no. 5980. 8 December 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- Wilson 1985, p. 220.
- "The Elections". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. XXXIII, no. 3416. 7 December 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- Wilson 1985, pp. 279–80.
- Wilson 1985, p. 159.
- "Cemetery records search". Marlborough District Council. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
References
- Dictionary of New Zealand Biography edited by Guy H. Scholefield vol. 2 pp. 84,85 (2 volumes 1940, Department of Internal Affairs)
- Hamer, David A. (1988). The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-014-3. OCLC 18420103.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.