| Hon. Thomas Wilford | |
|---|---|
| Thomas Wilford in 1928 | |
| 8th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 8 September 1920 – 13 August 1925 |
|
| Preceded by | William MacDonald |
| Succeeded by | George Forbes |
| Constituency | Hutt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 June 1870 |
| Died | 22 June 1939 |
| Relations | Thomas Mason (grandfather) George McLean (father in law) |
Sir Thomas Mason Wilford, KC (20 June 1870 – 22 June 1939) was a New Zealand politician. He held the seats of Wellington Suburbs then Hutt continuously for thirty years, from 1899 to 1929. Wilford was leader of the New Zealand Liberal Party, and Leader of the Opposition from 1920 to 1925.
Contents |
Wilford was born in Lower Hutt in 1870. His parents were the surgeon John George Frederick Wilford and his wife, Elizabeth Catherine Mason. His grandfather on his mother's side was Thomas Mason. He obtained his education at Wellington College in the Wellington suburb of Mount Victoria, followed by Christ's College in Christchurch. He passed his examinations as a lawyer at age 18, but could not be admitted to the bar until he had reached the legal age of 21.[1]
He married Georgia Constance McLean, daughter of George McLean, on 17 February 1892 at Dunedin. They had one son and one daughter.[1]
|
|
||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1896–1897 | 13th | Wellington Suburbs | Liberal | |
| 1899–1902 | 14th | Wellington Suburbs | Liberal | |
| 1902–1905 | 15th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1905–1908 | 16th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1908–1911 | 17th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1911–1914 | 18th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1914–1919 | 19th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1919–1922 | 20th | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1922–1925 | 21st | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1925–1928 | 22nd | Hutt | Liberal | |
| 1928–1929 | 23rd | Hutt | United | |
Wilford was elected to the Wellington Suburbs electorate in the 1896 general election, but the result was declared void after an election petition on the grounds of corrupt and illegal practices.[2] Charles Wilson was elected MP for that electorate following a by-election on 23 April 1897.[3]
Wilford then won the Wellington Suburbs electorate in the 1899 election and the new Hutt electorate from the 1902 election, which he held until he resigned on 18 November 1929.[3]
Wilford was a member of the Wellington Harbour Board from 1900 to 1910, and chaired the Board from 1908 onwards. He resigned from the Harbour Board when he became Mayor of Wellington in 1910 for one year.[1]
He was Minister of Justice, Minister of Marine and Minister of Stamps in the World War I National government from 14 November 1917 to 22 August 1919.[4]
From 10 December 1928 to 28 May 1930 he was Minister of Justice for a second period, and also Minister of Defence in Ward's Ministry.[5] He "had a long-standing interest in naval policy, especially the Singapore Base, ... had travelled extensively in the Pacific and the Far East", and he "was regarded as something of a specialist in Far Eastern questions."[6]
Wilford died at Wellington on 22 June 1939, survived by his wife and two children.[1]
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||
|---|---|---|
| In abeyance
Title last held by
Alfred Newman |
Member of Parliament for Hutt 1902–1929 |
Succeeded by Walter Nash |
|
|||||||||||