William Hughes Field (1861 – 1944) was a Member of Parliament in New Zealand; first for the Liberal Party, then Independent and then for the Reform Party.
Born in Wanganui, Field was a lawyer. Tom Field, MHR for Nelson (1914–1919), was a relative of brothers, William Hughes Field and Henry Augustus Field.
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Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
1900–1902 | 14th | Otaki | Liberal | |
1902–1905 | 15th | Otaki | Liberal | |
1905–1908 | 16th | Otaki | Liberal | |
1908–1909 | 17th | Otaki | Independent | |
1909–1911 | Changed allegiance to: | Reform | ||
1914–1919 | 19th | Otaki | Reform | |
1919–1922 | 20th | Otaki | Reform | |
1922–1925 | 21st | Otaki | Reform | |
1925–1928 | 22nd | Otaki | Reform | |
1928–1931 | 23rd | Otaki | Reform | |
1931–1935 | 24th | Otaki | Reform |
William Field won the Otaki seat in the Horowhenua District in 1900, but lost it to John Robertson of the Social Democratic Party (who had been nominated by the flax-workers union) by 21 votes on the second ballot in 1911. He then won it back in 1914, and held it until he retired in 1935.
He replaced his brother, Henry Augustus Field, when he died in 1899 (Hamer, p. 339). William Field stood as a Liberal in 1900 and was regarded as a 'country liberal' (Hamer, p. 260) or 'freehold liberal' (Hamer, p. 334) and therefore it is not surprising that he moved politically to support the Reform Party over time.