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

Parliament of New Zealand
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] 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.[6] He is listed as a manufacturer at Batley in the marriage advertisement, and his wife as being from nearby Boothtown.[7] His wife died on 4 June 1897 and was buried at St. Mark's Cemetery in Remuera.[8] Captain Colbeck died at his home in Gladstone Road, Parnell, on 25 June 1901.[9] 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.[10] In 1925, he came a distant fourth in the Rotorua electorate.[11] In the 1928 election, he came third in the Tauranga electorate.[12] In 1931, he again contested the Tauranga electorate and was third (and last) yet another time.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Obituary". Auckland Star. XXXII (150). 26 June 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 Tomlinson, Vivien. "William Henry Colbeck". Vivien Tomlinson's Family History. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Late Captain Colbeck". The New Zealand Herald. XXXVIII (11690). 27 June 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF) 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. ↑ Tomlinson, Vivien. "Martha Cordingley". Vivien Tomlinson's Family History. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Married". Leeds Mercury. 18 August 1840. p. 8.
  8. ↑ "Untitled". Auckland Star. XXVIII (131). 7 June 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Deaths". The New Zealand Herald. XXXVIII (11689). 26 June 1901. p. 1. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Death in 80th Year". The New Zealand Herald. LXXVIII (23860). 10 January 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  11. ↑ The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  12. ↑ The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  13. ↑ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Robert Douglas		 Member of Parliament for Marsden
1879–1881 		Succeeded by
Edwin Mitchelson
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