View source for William Jarvis Willis

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
[[File:Koreromaiwaho.jpg|thumb|left|Koreromaiwaho, the farm of Willis in the Rangitikei]]'''William Jarvis Willis''' (1839 – 1 March 1884) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in the [[Rangitikei District|Rangitikei]] region of New Zealand.

==Biography==
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=right}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |start      = {{NZ election link year|1879}}
 |end        = 1880
 |term       = 7th
 |electorate = [[Rangitīkei (New Zealand electorate)|Rangitikei]]
 |party      = Independent (politician)
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
Willis was born in [[Sussex]], England, the son of Rev. Thomas Willis and his wife Maria Augusta Lowe. He was educated at [[Eton College]] and then obtained a commission as ensign in the 14th Regiment.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/22130/pages/2002/page.pdf The London Gazette 23 April 1858]</ref> The regiment went to New Zealand in 1861 and he was Lieutenant and adjutant to the 2nd Battalion until the end of the war. He sold out in England and settled in New Zealand where he was appointed resident magistrate in [[Wairarapa]]. He took a farm at [[Marton, New Zealand|Marton]] adjoining the one of [[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]].<ref>{{cite web|title=[Fox, William] 1812-1893 :Koreromawhia, Rangitikei, N. Zeald. Koreromawhia, Mr Willis (late 14th Regt) adjoining my own place Rangitikei. [1864?]|url= http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=5947&l=mi |publisher=National Library of New Zealand|access-date=22 March 2012|author=William Fox|author-link=William Fox (politician)|year=c. 1864}}</ref>  Willis continued to act as Chairman of Petty Sessions for [[Rangitikei, New Zealand|Rangitikei]]. During the confrontations with Maori, he was major in command of militia and volunteers in Rangitikei and Manawatu. He was appointed resident magistrate for the district in December 1863.<ref>[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=DSC18631212.2.7 Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1999, 12 December 1863, Page 3]</ref> In 1864 he purchased land near Marton which he called Woodendean. He soon introduced the first [[Romney (sheep)|Romney sheep]] into the district.

In 1879 Willis resigned from the bench to contest [[Rangitīkei (New Zealand electorate)|Rangitikei]] seat as supporter of [[John Hall (New Zealand politician)|John Hall]]. He defeated Charles Lendrick MacLean but because of poor health he resigned early in 1880.<ref>{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 |edition= 4 |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103 |page=246 }}</ref> He was chairman of the Upper Rangitikei Highways board, a member of the Rangitikei County Council and in later years chairman of Porena, Marton and Paraekaretu licensing benches.

Willis married Amelia Riddiford, daughter of early settlers Daniel and Harriet Riddiford. They had four daughters, but Amelia died in 1869 at the age of just 25. All four daughters married, and two of them had children.<ref>[http://chradams.co.uk/willis/williamjarvis.html The Willis family of Lincolnshire]," 31 December 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2018.</ref> He wanted to marry her sister, but had to go to Australia to do so as it was then legal there but not in New Zealand.  He had six children by his second marriage, of whom three sons and a daughter married and had children.

Willis died at his family home of Woodendean, at [[Greatford railway station|Greatford]] near [[Bulls, New Zealand|Bulls]] in 1884, aged 44.<ref>[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=FS18840304.2.6 Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 26, 4 March 1884, Page 2]</ref> He was buried at St Stephens Anglican Cemetery, Marton.<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134836169 William Jarvis Willis]," ''findagrave.com'', 24 August 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2018.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par| nz}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Ballance]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Rangitīkei (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Rangitikei]]|years=1879–1880}}
{{s-aft|after=[[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]]}}
{{end}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=2&MR=5&RF=HIORecordSearch&QI0=%3D%221438-180%22 1994 photo of Woodendean]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, William}}
[[Category:1840 births]]
[[Category:1884 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians]]
[[Category:People from Sussex]]
[[Category:People from Marton, New Zealand]]
[[Category:British emigrants to New Zealand]]
[[Category:Riddiford family]]