Kenneth Williams (politician)
Kenneth Stuart Williams (13 September 1870 – 25 November 1935) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was Minister of Public Works from 1926 to 1928 in the Reform Government.
Early life[edit]
Williams was born in Pakaraka in the Bay of Islands in 1870 to parents John William Williams and Sarah Busby. He was a grandson of the missionary Henry Williams and of James Busby. He was educated at Heretaunga School in Hastings and Christ's College in Christchurch.[1]
Political career[edit]
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920–1922 | 20th | Bay of Plenty | Reform | ||
| 1922–1925 | 21st | Bay of Plenty | Reform | ||
| 1925–1928 | 22nd | Bay of Plenty | Reform | ||
| 1928–1931 | 23rd | Bay of Plenty | Reform | ||
| 1931–1935 | 24th | Bay of Plenty | Reform | ||
In 1903–09, he was chairman of Waiapu County. He won the Bay of Plenty electorate in a 1920 by-election[2] after the death of the previous MP, William MacDonald;[3] and held it [1] until 1935.[2] He was elected unopposed three times; in 1922, 1925 & 1931; in 1928 he was opposed by Alexander Moncur for Labour.
He was Minister of Public Works (12 June 1926 – 10 December 1928) in the Reform Government under Gordon Coates, and briefly Minister of Lands, and Commissioner of State Forests (28 November 1928 – 10 December 1928).[4]
In 1934, he had decided to retire at the end of the term because of health problems from an accident, but died on 25 November 1935 at a garden party held in his honour, just two days before the 1935 general election.[1]
In 1935, Williams was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[5]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c Robinson, Sheila. "Williams, Kenneth Stuart 1870–1935". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ a b Scholefield 1950, p. 148.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 122.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 47.
- ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
References[edit]
- Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
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- 1870 births
- 1935 deaths
- Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs
- Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
- People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election
- Williams family (New Zealand)
- New Zealand politician stubs