George Williamson Hall Explained

George Hall
Order:Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Heathcote
Term Start:12 February 1861
Term End:1862
Predecessor:Office established
Successor:William Moorhouse
Birth Date:7 September 1818
Birth Place:Sculcoates, England
Death Place:Christchurch, New Zealand
Resting Place:St John Cemetery, Hororata
Spouse:Agnes Dryden
Relatives:Sir John Hall (brother)
Party:Independent

George Williamson Hall (7 September 1818 – 27 February 1896) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Biography

George Hall was born in Sculcoates, Yorkshire, in 1818. He married Agnes Emma Dryden c. 1850 in Kingston upon Hull.[1] He was the eldest brother of Sir John Hall, 12th Premier of New Zealand.[2]

George and Agnes Hall emigrated to Canterbury in 1853, arriving on the Royal Albert; John Hall had emigrated a year before them.

Agnes's sister, Rose Anne Dryden married John Hall in 1861 at Kingston upon Hull.

Hall began his early life at sea, as a merchant seaman and after arriving in New Zealand, became a pastoralist. Hall stood for the Heathcote seat in the General Assembly in 1861 and defeated Feliz Wakefield comfortably.

Political career

The polling for the 1861 election in the Heathcote electorate took place on 12 February 1861. Hall and Edward Wakefield contested the election. Hall was a local resident with no prior political experience. Wakefield, on the other hand, came from a family of politicians. He had just been beaten in the electorate and then came to Heathcote, as the election was held later than in Wellington. Hall and Wakefield received 94 and 35 votes, respectively. Thus, Hall was elected to represent Heathcote in the 3rd New Zealand Parliament.[3] [4]

He represented the Heathcote electorate to 1862, when he resigned.[5] The resulting by-election was won by William Sefton Moorhouse.

Hall died at his residence in Christchurch's Park Terrace on 27 February 1896 and was buried in the cemetery at St John's Church in Hororata.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hall brothers of the Mackenzie . South Canterbury GenWeb . 20 April 2012.
  2. News: Obituary . 17 July 2010 . . 28 February 1896. 5501 . 2 .
  3. News: Mr. Wakefield's Attempt to get Returned to the General Assembly for a Canterbury Constituency . XVI . 1500 . 26 February 1861 . Wellington Independent . 4 . 30 Oct 2021.
  4. News: The Heathcote (Canterbury) election . XVI . 1501 . 1 March 1861 . Wellington Independent . 5 . 30 Oct 2021.
  5. Book: Wilson, James Oakley . New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840–1984 . 4 . First ed. published 1913 . 1985 . V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer . Wellington . 154283103 . 202.