Edward Wakefield (New Zealand politician)

Edward Wakefield in ca 1885

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1875–1879	6th	Geraldine		Independent
1879–1881	7th	Geraldine		Independent
1884	8th	Selwyn		Independent
1884–1887	9th	Selwyn		Independent

Edward Wakefield (1845–1924) was the son of Felix Wakefield, one of Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s younger brothers. Edward was born in Launceston, Tasmania, brought up in New Zealand, and educated in France and at King's College London.

He married Agnes Hall on 15 July 1874 at Christchurch. She was the daughter of George Williamson Hall, and John Hall was thus her uncle.^[1]

He was a journalist and then politician in New Zealand, who showed considerable promise, though this was not fulfilled.

He was the Member of Parliament for Geraldine 1875–1881, then for Selwyn 1884–1887, when he resigned.^[2] He won an 1884 by-election against John McLachlan,^[3] and was then elected unopposed in 1884 general election some five months later.^[4]

He was a colourful, volatile and ambitious politician. He was Colonial Secretary in the short 1884 ministry of Harry Atkinson; from 28 August to 3 September 1884.

He then concentrated on writing, producing New Zealand after Fifty Years (1889).

Later he moved to America, then London. He died in London, blind, in a Carthusian Charterhouse in 1924.

References

1. Bohan, Edmund. "Wakefield, Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
2. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 242. OCLC 154283103.
3. "Selwyn Election". The Press XL (5755). 28 February 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
4. "The General Election, 1884". National Library. 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

• Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
• The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Volume 1 part 1 (1897), Wellington: page 82.