Peter Howe (New South Wales politician)

(James) Peter Howe (3 November 1854 – 1 July 1917 ) was an Australian politician and convict.

Peter Howe
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Redfern
In office
8 September 1888 – 6 June 1891
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Bourke
In office
3 July 1891 – 1 July 1917
Personal details
Born(1854-11-03)3 November 1854
Redfern
Died1 July 1917(1917-07-01) (aged 62)
East Melbourne
SpouseAnnie Emma Burchmore (married 1878)
Children9
Parent(s)William Bryant
Mary Lambert
Criminal chargeConspiracy to defraud
Criminal penaltyImprisonment for 7 years
Criminal statusReleased after 3 years and 7 months

Early life

He was born in Redfern to mechanical engineer William Bryant and Mary Lambert. He was educated at Chippendale and worked as a leather dresser with Anderson & sons from the age of fifteen, becoming the branch manager by 1890. On 27 November 1878 he married Annie Emma Burchmore, with whom he had nine children, 5 daughters and 4 sons.[1][2]

Political career

He was an alderman for the Borough of Waterloo from 1886,[2] and mayor from 1888 to 1889.[3][4]

He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as one of the members for Redfern at a by-election in 1888 as a Protectionist.[5][6] He was defeated at the election for Redfern on 17 June 1891,[5] but was returned to the assembly as one of the members for Bourke at the election on 3 July 1891.[7] He did not hold ministerial or other office.[1]

Criminal conviction

Howe was a director of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company, which was placed into liquidation on 11 September 1891.[8] On 8 October 1891 he was charged, along with James Miller, with conspiracy to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company.[9] On 21 October 1891 Howe gave his resignation to William Willis to be given to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. He was convicted of one of the three charges of conspiracy to defraud on 31 October and sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.[10] His resignation was not given to the Speaker until after his conviction, however accounts differ as to why. The Sydney Morning Herald stated that the resignation was to be given to the Speaker only if convicted which pointed "to a hope that the prosecution might fail, and that the resignation of the seat might be avoided",[11] while the Australian Town and Country Journal stated that it was Willis' decision not to immediately give the resignation to the Speaker, for fear that it might prejudice Howe's trial.[12] Frank Smith, another former member of the Legislative Assembly, was the managing director of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company from September 1889 until September 1890, and was convicted in February 1892 with conspiracy to fraudulently misrepresent the financial affairs of the company,[13] and was also sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.[14]

Howe was released from prison in June 1895 after serving 3 years and 7 months.[2][15]

Later life

He later moved to Melbourne, where he established a leather business and also served on Preston Council.[2] Howe died at East Melbourne in 1917 (aged 62).[1]

References
  1. "Mr James Peter Howe (1854-1917)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  2. "James Howe". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. "Borough of Waterloo". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 117. 17 February 1888. p. 1328. Retrieved 14 October 2016 – via Trove.
  4. "Borough of Waterloo". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 99. 12 February 1889. p. 1222. Retrieved 14 October 2016 – via Trove.
  5. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Redfern". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  6. "A Sydney Legislator: Mr J P Howe MLA". Australian Town and Country Journal. 28 September 1889. p. 33. Retrieved 24 April 2021 – via Trove.
  7. Green, Antony. "1891 Bourke". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. "The Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company Limited". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  9. "Peter Howe ex-MP". The National Advocate. 2 November 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  10. "The Howe-Miller conspiracy case". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 November 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  11. "The case of James Peter Howe". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 November 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 24 April 2021 – via Trove.
  12. "The Bourke Electorate". Australian Town and Country Journal. 7 November 1891. p. 18. Retrieved 24 April 2021 – via Trove.
  13. "The conspiracy case". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 February 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  14. "At the Central Criminal Court". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 1892. p. 9. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  15. "Bank prisoners released". Australian Town and Country Journal. 8 June 1895. p. 14. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.

 

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