William Reynolds (New Zealand politician)

William Hunter Reynolds (1 May 1822 – 1 April 1899) was a 19th-century businessman and Member of Parliament in Dunedin, Otago region, New Zealand. He was a cabinet minister.[1] He is the only person who held membership on the Otago Provincial Council over the entire course of its existence (1853–1876), was Speaker of the council for three years, and was a member of the council's executive eight times.

William Reynolds
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Dunedin and Suburbs South
In office 6 Apr 1863 – 27 Jan 1866
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Dunedin
In office 9 Mar 1866 – 6 Dec 1875
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Port Chalmers
In office 10 Jan 1876 – 4 Mar 1878
Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
In office 30 Apr 1878 – 1 Apr 1899
Personal details
Born	1 May 1822 Chatham, Kent, England
Died	1 April 1899 (aged 76) Mornington, Dunedin, New Zealand
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Rachel Pinkerton
Relations	James Macandrew (brother-in-law)

Early life

Reynolds was involved in shipping by trade, initially in partnership with his brother-in-law James Macandrew who had married his sister Elizabeth Hunter Reynolds. Reynolds himself married Rachel Pinkerton in 1856 and they raised nine children together.[2][3]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1863–1866	3rd	Dunedin and Suburbs South		Independent
1866	4th	City of Dunedin		Independent
1867–1870	4th	City of Dunedin		Independent
1871–1875	5th	City of Dunedin		Independent
1876–1878	6th	Port Chalmers		Independent

In the inaugural 1853 provincial council elections, Reynolds was one of six representatives for the Dunedin Country electorate in the Otago Provincial Council (1853–1855).[4] In the 1855 election, he successfully stood for the Town of Dunedin electorate. He represented that electorate, from the third council named City of Dunedin, until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.[5] He was Speaker of Otago Province from May 1857 to December 1870.[6] Between 1854 and 1865, he was on the council's executive on eight occasions.[7]

He represented the Dunedin and Suburbs South electorate from 1863 to 1866, when the 3rd Parliament was dissolved. He then represented the City of Dunedin electorate in 1866 (resigned) and from 1867 to 1875. He then represented the Port Chalmers electorate (Port Chalmers was Dunedin's port) from 1876 to 1878, when he resigned.[8]

He was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council on 30 April 1878, and served until his death.[1]

In 1893 Reynolds was at the centre of a drama that led to the passing of the Women's suffrage bill into law. Premier Seddon had expected to stop the bill in the upper house, but found that one more vote was needed. Thomas Kelly, a new Liberal Party councillor had left himself paired in favour of the measure, but Seddon obtained his consent by wire to change his vote. Seddon's manipulation so incensed two opposition councillors, Reynolds and Edward Cephas John Stevens that they changed sides and voted for the bill, allowing it to pass by 20 votes to 18 and so gave the vote to women.[9]

Notes

1. McLintock, A. H., ed. (23 April 2009) [1966]. "Featherston, Dr Isaac Earl". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
2. Thomson, Jane (1998). Southern People – A Dictionary of Otago-Southland Biography. Dunedin, New Zealand: Longacre Press. pp. 417–418. ISBN 1-877135-11-9.
3. Burke, Bernard (1970) [1891]. Burke's Colonial Gentry (2 ed.). Baltimore, Ohio: Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 374. ISBN 0-8063-0415-4.
4. "Election of the provincial council for the Country District". Otago Witness (124). 1 October 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
5. Scholefield 1950, p. 222.
6. Scholefield 1950, p. 217.
7. Scholefield 1950, p. 218.
8. Wilson 1985, p. 229.
9. Women's Suffrage in New Zealand by Patricia Grimshaw, p 92. (1972, Auckland University Press)

References

• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.