Agnes Weston (politician) explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Agnes Weston
Office2:Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
Term Start2:22 June 1950
Term End2:31 December 1950
Birth Name:Agnes Louisa Steuart
Birth Date:18 January 1879
Birth Place:Manutahi, New Zealand
Death Place:Wellington, New Zealand
Relations:Thomas Shailer Weston Jr. (brother-in-law)
Tom Shand (son-in-law)
Children:two

Agnes Louisa Weston (née Steuart, 18 January 1879 – 8 August 1972) from Wellington was appointed a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council on 22 June 1950.[1]

Steuart was born on 18 January 1879 at Manutahi,[2] the daughter of Frederick Jeffray Steuart and Alice Mary .[3] Her father was mayor of Stratford in 1900 and 1901.[4]

On 17 Jun 1905, Steuart married Claude Weston at St James' Church, Sydney.[5] Her husband would later effectively be the first president of the National Party (1936–1940).[6] Claude Weston participated in World War I and was wounded in 1916 when he had risen to the rank of major.[7] In World War II, Agnes Louisa Weston was a member of the women's section of the Returned Servicemen's Association (RSA) and was elected chairperson of the committee that encouraged social contact between women related to men in active service.[8] They initially lived in New Plymouth, where her husband had his law practice, but moved to Auckland in 1931. This was followed by a move to Wellington in 1933.[9] The Westons had one daughter and one son. Their daughter, a medical doctor, would marry Tom Shand who later was a member of parliament.

In the, Claude Weston was a candidate for the National Party in the electorate. He died suddenly on 10 November 1946 in Wellington, and she replaced him as a candidate. The election was won by Charles Chapman of the Labour Party.[10] She was one of three female members of the suicide squad, which was appointed by the First National Government in 1950 to vote for its abolition. The other women appointed in 1950 were Cora Louisa Burrell and Ethel Gould.[11] Only two other women, Mary Anderson and Mary Dreaver, had ever been appointed to the council (in 1946).

Weston was the president of the Women's Auxiliary RSA in 1946.[12]

Weston died in Wellington on 8 August 1972, aged 93.[13]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wilson, James Oakley . New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 . 4th . First published in 1913 . 1985 . V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer . Wellington . 154283103 . 166.
  2. News: Birth . 18 January 2022 . Patea Mail . IV . 393 . 22 January 1879 . 2.
  3. Book: Petersen, George Conrad . George Petersen (historian)

    . Who's Who in New Zealand, 1961 . George Petersen (historian) . 1961 . 7th . . Wellington . 291.

  4. News: Obituary . 18 January 2022 . . 9 November 1926 . 8.
  5. Book: Smith, Philippa Mein . A Concise History of New Zealand . 177 . . 2005 . 9780521542289 . 29 March 2014.
  6. Book: Gustafson, Barry . Barry Gustafson

    . Barry Gustafson . The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party . 1986 . Reed Methuen . Auckland . 0-474-00177-6 . 389.

  7. News: The roll of honour . 19 January 2022 . . LII . 15706 . 27 September 1916 . 7.
  8. News: A good start . 19 January 2022 . . CXXXII . 113 . 8 November 1941 . 12.
  9. News: King's Counsel . 20 January 2022 . . 10 March 1934 . LXV . 59 . 10.
  10. Web site: The General Election, 1946 . . 1 January 2014 . 11 . 1947.
  11. News: Sir Apirana Ngata one of 25 new Legislative Councillors . 23 June 1950 . Gisborne Herald . 6 . 77 . 23287 . 22 January 2022.
  12. Book: Petersen, George Conrad . George Petersen (historian)

    . Who's Who in New Zealand, 1968 . George Petersen (historian) . 1968 . 9th . . Wellington . 340.

  13. Book: Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 . Traue . J. E. . Jim Traue . 1978 . 11th . . Wellington . 300.