| Sir John Cracroft Wilson MP, CB, KCSI |
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| John Cracroft Wilson | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Christchurch |
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| In office 1861 – 1866 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Sewell |
| Succeeded by | James FitzGerald |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Coleridge |
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| In office 1866 – 1870 |
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| Preceded by | new constituency |
| Succeeded by | John Karslake Karslake[1] |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Heathcote |
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| In office 1872–1875 |
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| Preceded by | John Hall |
| Succeeded by | James Temple Fisher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 May 1808 Onamore, India |
| Died | 2 March 1881 (aged 72) Cashmere, New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth (née Wall) Jane Torie (née Greig) |
| Children | 8 (Laura, William, Emma, Frederick, Constance, Alexander, Laura & Walter) from first marriage |
| Residence | Cracroft Wilson estate |
| Occupation | civil servant, farmer, politician |
Sir John Cracroft Wilson CB KCSI (21 May 1808 – 2 March 1881), was a British-educated civil servant in India, farmer and politician in New Zealand.
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Cracroft Wilson was born in Onamore, India, the son of Alexander Wilson, FRS, a judge in the Madras Civil Service, and Clementina (née Cracroft). He was educated at Haileybury College and Brasenose College, Oxford. He returned to India in 1928 and entered the Bengal Civil Service as a cadet, advancing to become a magistrate.[2][3]
He was married to Elizabeth (née Wall), probably on 4 November 1828 at Westminster, or Brixton, Surrey. His wife died in 1843 in Moradabad after giving birth to their 8th child.[3][4] He married again on 12 October 1844 to Jane Torie Greig in Bareilly near Moradabad. There were no children of this second marriage.[5]
In 1853 his health broke down and he was ordered to convalesce in a cooler climate. Accordingly, he sailed to Australia and, after purchasing sheep and cattle in Sydney, took them to Lyttelton, New Zealand in the Akbar. He arrived on 8 April 1853 and at once took up land in the Port Hills. He named the farm Cashmere (now a suburb of Christchurch) after Kashmir in India. By the time his leave had expired, his station was well established.
In May 1855 he returned to India. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Cracroft Wilson secured special powers from the Lieutenant-Governor and acted to prevent the spread of disaffection. His intervention was so effective that, after the Mutiny, Lord Canning, the Viceroy, recommended him for a distinction
In May 1860, Queen Victoria awarded him the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)[6] and, in 1872 Cracroft Wilson was offered, and accepted, the rank of Knight Commander (KCSI) of the Order of the Star of India.[7]
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| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1861–66 | 3rd | Christchurch | Independent | |
| 1866–70 | 4th | Coleridge | Independent | |
| 1872–75 | 5th | Heathcote | Independent | |
After he returned to New Zealand in 1859 Cracroft Wilson was elected to the House of Representatives for the electorates of City of Christchurch (1861–66), Coleridge (1866–70), and Heathcote (1872–75).[5]
At the end of the 1866–70 term, Cracroft Wilson retired from the Coleridge electorate due to an 'unfortunate accident' that he had suffered.[8] On 30 July 1872, he was elected unopposed to represent Heathcote following the resignation by John Hall, who had accepted a position in the Legislative Council.[9] In the 1875–76 general election, held on 4 January 1876 in the Heathcote electorate, Cracroft Wilson was defeated by James Temple Fisher.[10][11]
He was for some years Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee. He was a forceful and, at times, provocative debater. During the 1860s, when Māori affairs were frequently before the House, Cracroft Wilson drew freely on his Indian experiences to reinforce his arguments. He strongly urged the use of Gurkha troops as the most effective means of bringing the war to a speedy and successful conclusion. He represented Ashburton on the Canterbury Provincial Council from 1866 to 1870 and Heathcote in 1871 and 1875–76. For a short time in 1875 he was President of the Provincial Executive. In addition he served on numerous local bodies and was a keen member of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. He was an early member of the Canterbury Jockey Club and helped Cass to select the site of the racecourse. He commanded the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry, was a patron of opera and drama, a governor of Canterbury College, and a diocesan synodsman. As a farmer, he imported pedigree sheep, principally Lincolns, and founded a stud flock.
Cracroft Wilson died at Cashmere, Christchurch, on 2 March 1881.[12] He was survived by his wife and four of his children (Frederick, Alexander, Emma and Constance).[13]
During World War II, the military commandeered the Cracroft Wilson estate, founded by Cracroft Wilson in 1854, for their Southern Group headquarters, and secret work on the Cracroft Caverns underneath the house began in 1942.[14]
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Sewell |
Member of Parliament for Christchurch 1861–1866 |
Succeeded by James FitzGerald |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Coleridge 1866–1870 |
Succeeded by John Karslake Karslake |
| Preceded by John Hall |
Member of Parliament for Heathcote 1872–1876 |
Succeeded by James Fisher |