William Henry Colbeck

William Henry Colbeck (1823 – 25 June 1901) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in the Auckland Region of New Zealand.

Life in England

Colbeck was born in Batley, Yorkshire in 1823 and was baptised on 20 February.[1] His parents were William Colbeck (1783–1849) and Elizabeth Richardson (c. 1785 – 1856).[2] He was involved in the woollen manufacture with his brothers Isaac and Simeon, trading as Cheapside Mill in Batley, and after selling that factory, trading as Colbeck Bros. in Alverthorpe.[2][3]

Life in New Zealand
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1879–1881 7th Marsden Independent

Colbeck emigrated to New Zealand in 1877[1] to join two of his sons in the Kaipara District.[3] He enlarged the land holding and built a residence. Colbeck was a strong supporter of the construction of the North Auckland Line that would service the Northland Region.[3] He laid out the township of Batley on the Kaipara Harbour as a settlement project, but nothing came of it.[4]

He represented the Marsden electorate from 1879 to 1881, when he retired.[5] In 1879 there were doubts about his election, and the Elections Validation Act, 1879 [6] validated the election of Cobeck and two other MHRs, Honi Mohi Tawhai and Wiremu te Wheoro.

He stood in the 1887 election in the Rodney electorate, but was beaten by the incumbent, William Pollock Moat.[4]

In about 1884, Colbeck moved to Auckland. He was well known as a businessman and president of the Bank of New Zealand, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Auckland Club.[1]

Family and death

On 9 August 1849, Colbeck married Martha Cordingley, the daughter of John Cordingley, at Halifax.[7] He is listed as a manufacturer at Batley in the marriage advertisement, and his wife as being from nearby Boothtown.[8] His wife died on 4 June 1897 and was buried at St. Mark's Cemetery in Remuera.[9] Captain Colbeck died at his home in Gladstone Road, Parnell, on 25 June 1901.[10] He was survived by six sons and two daughters.[1]

His son Frank Colbeck (1861–1941) was a life member of the Farmers' Union, and stood for the Country Party in three general elections.[11] In 1925, he came a distant fourth in the Rotorua electorate.[12] In the 1928 election, he came third in the Tauranga electorate.[13] In 1931, he again contested the Tauranga electorate and was third (and last) again.[14]

References
  1. "Obituary". Auckland Star. Vol. XXXII, no. 150. 26 June 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  2. Tomlinson, Vivien. "William Henry Colbeck". Vivien Tomlinson's Family History. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. "The Late Captain Colbeck". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 11690. 27 June 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  4. Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF). Vol. I. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. p. 167. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  5. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 (4 ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 189. OCLC 154283103.
  6. "Elections Validation Act, 1879". New Zealand Law online.
  7. Tomlinson, Vivien. "Martha Cordingley". Vivien Tomlinson's Family History. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  8. "Married". Leeds Mercury. 18 August 1840. p. 8.
  9. "Untitled". Auckland Star. Vol. XXVIII, no. 131. 7 June 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  10. "Deaths". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 11689. 26 June 1901. p. 1. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  11. "Death in 80th Year". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 23860. 10 January 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  12. The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  13. The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  14. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
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