William Shepherd Allen

William Shepherd Allen
W. S. Allen 1912
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme
In office 1865–1886
Preceded by	William Murray William Jackson
Succeeded by	Douglas Harry Coghill
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Te Aroha
In office 1890–1891
Preceded by	new constituency
Succeeded by	William Fraser
Personal details
Born	22 June 1831 Manchester, England
Died	15 January 1915 (aged 83) Cheadle, Staffordshire
Resting place	St Giles the Abbot's Churchyard, Cheadle
Political party	Liberal Party (UK)
Relations	John Candlish (father-in-law)
Children	William Allen Elizabeth Candlish Allen John Candlish Allen Maria Shepherd Allen Thomas Shepherd Allen Robert Candlish Allen Stephen Shepherd Allen Mary Esther Allen Paul Henry Allen Alice Barbara Allen
Residence	Woodhead Hall, Cheadle Annandale near Morrinsville, New Zealand
Alma mater	Wadham College, Oxford
Religion	Methodist

William Shepherd Allen (22 June 1831 – 15 January 1915) was an English Liberal politician, who also farmed in New Zealand and who was briefly an MP in that country.

Biography

Allen was born at Manchester, the son of William Allen and his wife Maria Shepherd. His father was JP for Staffordshire, residing at Woodhead Hall,^[1] Cheadle. Allen was educated at Wadham College, Oxford. He graduated with a BA in law and history in 1854, and an MA in 1857.^[2]

In 1869, Allen married Elizabeth Penelope Candlish, the daughter of John Candlish MP for Sunderland. Their eldest son William was later MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme. Another son, Colonel Sir Stephen Shepherd Allen, (1882–1964) was a New Zealand lawyer, farmer, local body politician, and Mayor of Morrinsville. He served in World War I and in the Territorial Army, and was Administrator of the colony of Western Samoa (now Samoa) 1928-31.^[3]

He was a devout Methodist and wrote several religious papers.

Allen was elected as MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1865. He held the seat until 1886. In later life he shared his time between Woodhead Hall in England and his property Annandale near Morrinsville in New Zealand.^[4]

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1890–1891	11th	Te Aroha		Independent

In 1890 he was elected MP for Te Aroha in New Zealand, but his election was disallowed on petition by William Fraser in 1891.^[5][6][7] The judges disqualified Allen from standing in the Te Aroha electorate for 12 months and he expressed disappointment that he could not contest the resulting 1891 by-election,^[8] which was won by Fraser.^[9] Allen contested the Parnell electorate in the 1893 election as an Independent, but was beaten by the incumbent, Frank Lawry, who represented the Liberal Party.^[10][11] His son, John Candlish Allen, was one of three candidates in Parnell in the 1899 election, but came last with Lawry at the head of the poll.^[12][13]

He died at Cheadle on 15 January 1915 at the age of 83 and is buried at St Giles the Abbot's Churchyard in Cheadle. His wife died in 1922.^[14]

Publications

• The Teaching Of Christ With Respect To The Future Punishment Of The Wicked
• The present position of Wesleyan Methodism : the causes of its decreasing numbers, and the means which must be adopted to secure an increase

References

1. "Woodhead Hall" (PDF).
2. Robert Henry Mair, ed. (1870). Debrett's House of Commons. London: Dean & Son. p. 4. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
3. McGibbon, Ian. "Allen, Stephen Shepherd". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
4. Papers Past Observer 26 Poutūterangi 1904
5. "The Te Aroha Election". Thames Advertiser XXIV (6882). 4 April 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
6. "The Te Aroha Election". Thames Advertiser XXIV (6883). 6 April 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
7. Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 92.
8. "The Te Aroha Election". The Press. XLVIII (7836). 13 April 1891. p. 6. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
9. "Te Aroha Election". Thames Star. XXIII (6930). 10 July 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
10. "Parnell". Auckland Star XXIV (282). 28 November 1893. p. 5. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
11. "Parnell". Auckland Star XXIV (284). 30 November 1893. p. 6. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
12. "Electoral District of Parnell". Observer XIX (1095). 23 December 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
13. "John Candlish Allen". New Zealand War Graves Project. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
14. "Some Memorial Inscriptions - Cheadle, Staffordshire". Wishful Thinking. Retrieved 3 February 2013.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Shepherd Allen