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Charles H. Mills

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles H. Mills
Minister of Customs
In office
29 October 1900 – 6 August 1906
Prime MinisterRichard Seddon
William Hall-Jones
Preceded byRichard Seddon
Succeeded byAlexander Hogg
Personal details
Born1843 (1843)
Nelson, New Zealand
Died3 April 1923(1923-04-03) (aged 79–80)
New Zealand
NationalityBlenheim, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Margaret Morrison
(m. 1871)
RelationsHaddon Donald (great-grandson)[1]

Charles Houghton Mills (1843 – 3 April 1923) was a member of parliament for Waimea and Wairau, in the South Island of New Zealand.

Early life

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Mills was born in Nelson.[2] His father was Richard Mills, who arrived in Nelson in 1841 on the Lord Auckland.[3] The family moved to Wellington in the early 1850s, where his father was Governor of the gaol, and where Charles Mills was educated.[3][4] He was a pupil teacher at Te Aro school.[4] He went to sea for some years, and then worked in mining and farming.[3] Later, Mills was a commission agent.[2]

Mills settled in Havelock in 1871 and married Margaret, a daughter of John Morrison, in the same year.[3][5]

Member of Parliament

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1890–1893 11th Waimea-Picton Liberal
1893–1896 12th Waimea-Sounds Liberal
1896–1899 13th Wairau Liberal
1899–1902 14th Wairau Liberal
1902–1905 15th Wairau Liberal
1905–1908 16th Wairau Liberal

The 1887 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Arthur Seymour, Joseph Harkness and Mills, who received 446, 444 and 415 votes, respectively. Seymour was thus elected.[6]

The 1890 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Mills, Richmond Hursthouse and William Henry Phillips, who received 936, 728 and 80 votes, respectively.[7] Mills was thus elected and represented the electorate until the end of the term in 1893. He then represented the successor electorates of Waimea-Sounds (1893–1896) and Wairau (1896–1908) in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[8] The 1896 general election was contested by the incumbent Lindsay Buick and Mills, who received 2014 and 2072 votes, respectively. Mills thus succeeded Buick in Wairau.[9]

Mills served as the Liberal Party's Senior Whip from 1894 until his elevation to cabinet in 1900.[10] He was Minister of Trade and Customs between 1900 and 1906 and Minister of Immigration in 1906.[8]

He was a member of the Provincial Council and Marlborough County Council, and of the Legislative Council between 1909 and 1916.[11]

Death

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Mills died on 3 April 1923 and was buried at Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.[4][12] He was survived by his wife.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Hyslop, Liam (11 April 2013). "Our oldest MP returns to Parliament". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b Hamer 1988, p. 365.
  3. ^ a b c d Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "The Hon. Charles Houghton Mills". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d "Hon C H Mills". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. XLII. 5 April 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  5. ^ William Jackson Barry (1897). "Mr. C. H. Mills". Past and Present, and Men of the Times. Christchurch: McKee and Gamble. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Waimea-Picton election". Colonist. Vol. XXX, no. 5024. 6 October 1887. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Waimea-Picton". Colonist. Vol. XXXIV, no. 5980. 8 December 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  8. ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 220.
  9. ^ "The Elections". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. XXXIII, no. 3416. 7 December 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  10. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 279–80.
  11. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 159.
  12. ^ "Cemetery records search". Marlborough District Council. Retrieved 26 October 2015.[permanent dead link]

References

[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Customs
1900–1906
Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Waimea-Picton
1890–1893
Electorate abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Waimea-Sounds
1893–1896
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wairau
1896–1908
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Senior Whip of the Liberal Party
1894–1900
Succeeded by