William Cargill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Walter Cargill (August 27, 1784–August 6, 1860) was the founder of the Otago settlement in New Zealand.

Cargill was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1784.

He joined the British Army in 1802 and served with distinction in India, Spain, and France, until family circumstances forced him to sell his commission in 1820. After leaving the army, he became a wine merchant in Scotland.

On November 24, 1847, Cargill sailed for New Zealand on the ship John Wickliffe, arriving at what is now Port Chalmers, Otago on March 23, 1848. The Constitution Act 1852 granted the settler population self-government, and in 1853 Cargill was elected superintendent of the province of Otago. He then served as a Member of Parliament from 1855 until he retired in October 1859. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

The city Invercargill bears his name: Inver comes from the Scots Gaelic word inbhir meaning a river's mouth.

In 1813, Cargill married Mary Ann Yates, who bore him seventeen children. Of these, two of his five sons became notable in public life: John, who followed in his fathers footsteps and became a politician, and Edward, a prominent businessman.