Charles Henry Chapman (politician)

Charles Henry Chapman MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington North
In office 1928–1946
Preceded by	John Luke
Succeeded by	seat abolished
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Central
In office 1946–1954
Preceded by	Peter Fraser
Succeeded by	Frank Kitts
Personal details
Born	1876 London, England
Died	2 March 1957 Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Labour (1916-57) Social Democratic (1913-16)

Charles Henry Chapman (1876 – 2 March 1957) was a New Zealand unionist and politician of the Labour Party and various predecessor parties.

Early life

Chapman was born in London, England in 1876. He joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and was later secretary of the London ILP Federation. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1905.^[1]

Early political career

Chapman was a linotype operator by trade as well as a union secretary. He was on the executive of the Independent Political Labour League (IPLL) in 1906/07.^[1] He was on the Advisory Committee of the Social Democratic Party in 1915–1916.^[1]

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1928–1931	23rd	Wellington North		Labour
1931–1935	24th	Wellington North		Labour
1935–1938	25th	Wellington North		Labour
1938–1943	26th	Wellington North		Labour
1943–1946	27th	Wellington North		Labour
1946–1949	28th	Wellington Central		Labour
1949–1951	29th	Wellington Central		Labour
1951–1954	30th	Wellington Central		Labour

Local Government career

He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1919–1925 and 1929–1941, and also served on the Hospital Board.^[1] In 1915, Chapman ran for Mayor of Wellington as the Social Democratic candidate. In a three horse race, he came a distant third.^[2]

Parliamentary career

He contested the Wellington South electorate in the 1908 election and came third behind Robert Alexander Wright and William Henry Peter Barber.^[3]

He contested the Hawke's Bay electorate in the 1919 election for the Labour Party and came third behind Hugh Campbell and Gilbert McKay.^[4] In 1922, he stood in the Hawke's Bay electorate again and came a distant third (and last) after Gilbert McKay and Andrew Hamilton Russell.^[5] In the 1925 election, he stood in the Wellington Suburbs electorate and was beaten by the incumbent, Robert Alexander Wright, who had also beaten him in 1908.^[6]

In 1928, Chapman was elected as the Member of Parliament for Wellington North which he held until the seats abolition in 1946. He then became the Member for Wellington Central from 1946 until 1954 when he retired.^[7]

Later Life

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.^[8]

Chapman died in 1957 and was buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington.^[9]

References

1. Gustafson, Barry (1980). Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. p. 155. ISBN 0-19-647986-X.
2. "Wellington City Council". Evening Post. LXXXIX (108). 8 May 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
3. "The General Election, 1908". National Library of New Zealand. 1909. p. 31. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
4. "Hawke's Bay Province". Colonist LXII (15259). 22 December 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
5. "How The Electorates Went". Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle. XVIII (909). 12 December 1922. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
6. "Wellington Province". Auckland Star LVI (262). 5 November 1925. p. 9. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
7. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 189. OCLC 154283103.
8. "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post CXIX (105). 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
9. "Cemeteries search". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 30 April 2015.