William Snodgrass (politician)

The Honourable William Snodgrass MBE
15th Mayor of Nelson
In office 1917–1921
Preceded by	Charles Harley
Succeeded by	William Lock
Personal details
Born	William Wallace Snodgrass 1870 Liverpool, England
Died	20 March 1939 missing from TSS Arahura, Cook Strait
Spouse(s)	Sarah Annie Frankham (m. 1897)
Relations	Frank Snodgrass (son)

William Wallace Snodgrass MBE (1870 – 20 March 1939) was an English-born politician from Nelson, New Zealand. He was Mayor of Nelson and later a member of the Legislative Council.

Early life and family

Snodgrass was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Robert Snodgrass. His early education was at Liverpool Methodist School. When he was 10 his family migrated to Nelson, New Zealand. On 27 January 1896 Snodgrass married Annie Frankham, the daughter of Walter Frankham, and they had five children — two sons and three daughters — including Wallace Frankham Snodgrass who played three matches for the All Blacks.^[1]

Business

Snodgrass was a member of his father's merchant firm of R. Snodgrass and Sons in Nelson.^[2]

Political career

Snodgrass was a City Councillor for three years and elected Mayor from 1917 to 1921. William Lock and he contested the Mayoralty for a number of elections with Lock winning in 1921.

Snodgrass was appointed to the Legislative Council on 2 September 1921.^[3] At the end of his terms, he was reappointed in September 1928 and in September 1935. He remained a member until his disappearance in 1939.^[4]

Community service

Snodgrass was President of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce from 1913-1914.^[5] He was also a member of the Nelson Harbour Board, Patriotic Society, and War Funds Council.

In 1918 he was awarded the MBE for his patriotic work during World War I.^[6] In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.^[7]

Disappearance

Snodgrass was a passenger on the Arahura sailing from Wellington to Nelson on 20 March 1939 and disappeared during the voyage. The account of the voyage stated that Snodgrass had supper with the master, Captain Hay, and retired to his cabin fairly early. When the other occupant of the cabin, Walter S. Dillon, went to bed Snodgrass was in his bunk reading, and they later said goodnight. In the morning Snodgrass was missing. His clothes and effects were in the cabin.^[8]

Three years later his daughter, Florence, also died at sea.^[9] She was married to Colonel C. S. J. Duff, Commander of the New Zealand Artillery and had been serving in the WAAF in England. She lost her life when SS Port Hunter was torpedoed and sunk by U-582 in the Atlantic north-west of the Canary Islands on 11 July 1942.^[10]

References

1. Who's Who in New Zealand, Scholefield, The Rangatira Press, 1931
2. Tributes paid, Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 152, 30 June 1939, Page 16
3. Upper House, Northern Advocate, Hawera, New Zealand, 2 September 1921, Page 5
4. Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 85.
5. "Doing business in Nelson Tasman" (PDF). Commerce.org.nz. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
6. Personal, Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14662, 16 March 1918, Page 4
7. "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post CXIX (105). 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
8. Hon W W Snodgrass, Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 67, 21 March 1939, Page 13
9. Death at Sea, Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 184, 6 August 1942, Page 6
10. Women at War, War History Branch, 1948, page 29