George Witty
{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = The Honourable
|name = George Witty
|honorific-suffix =
|image = George Witty.jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|constituency_MP = Riccarton
|parliament = New Zealand
|majority =
|term_start = 1902
|term_end = 1925
|predecessor = George Warren Russell
|successor = Bert Kyle
|birth_date = 1856
|birth_place = North Ferriby
|death_date = 21 November 1941 (aged 85)
|death_place =
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|nationality =
|party = Liberal
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George Witty (1856 – 21 November 1941) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Riccarton, in the South Island.
Early life
He was born in North Ferriby, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England and came to New Zealand in 1875 with two shillings in his pocket.Cyclopedia of New Zealand: [http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d6-d1.html Canterbury Provincial District, Vol. 3, p.649], 1903 (The Cyclopedia Co. Ltd, Christchurch) He was a farmer and a director of the local sale yards company in Christchurch.
Member of Parliament
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1902}} |end=1905 |term=15th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1905}} |end=1908 |term=16th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1908}} |end=1911 |term=17th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1911}} |end=1914 |term=18th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1914}} |end=1919 |term=19th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1919}} |end=1922 |term=20th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand Liberal Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1922}} |end=1925 |term=21st |electorate=Riccarton |party=Independent Liberal}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
George Witty represented the Riccarton electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives for twenty three years from 1902 to 1925 .{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=247 }} Witty was a Liberal but at the 1922 election he stood as an Independent and was successful. {{sfn|Bassett|1982|p=66 }}{{sfn|Wood|1996|p=105 }}
Witty was a member of the Legislative Council from 1925 to 28 October 1932. Witty and Leonard Isitt were both appointed to the Legislative Council by Gordon Coates on 28 October 1925; shortly before the 1925 election on 4 November. Both were Liberals but their retirement removed "a source of some bitterness from the Party’s ranks (Coates rewarded them with seats in the Legislative Council the day after the election)". Gordon Coates was Reform, and both of their former seats went to Reform candidates.{{sfn|Bassett|1982|p=35 }}
After Witty, Bert Kyle of the Reform Party represented the Riccarton electorate.
In 1935, Witty was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HAWST19350506.2.64 |title=King issues jubilee medals |date=6 May 1935 |page=9 |volume=LIV |issue=105 |work=Hawera Star |access-date=15 August 2021}} He received the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937, and served as chairman of the Paparua County Council.The New Zealand Roll of Honour: New Zealanders who have served their country in Peace and War 1845-1995 (Edited by Alister Taylor, p.1165, 1998, Roll of Honour Publications, Auckland)
Death
Witty died in Christchurch on 21 November 1941, aged 85 years.
External links
- {{cite news|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19411121.2.113.1&srpos=1&e=20-11-1941-30-12-1941--10--1----0Witty-- |title= Photo from New Zealand Herald |publisher=Papers Past |date=9 March 2015}}
- {{cite news|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19411121.2.12&srpos=4&e=01-01-1941-30-12-1942--10--1----0Witty-- |title= Obituary in Auckland Star |publisher=Papers Past |date=9 March 2015}}
- {{cite news|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19411121.2.113&srpos=4&e=20-11-1941-30-12-1941--10--1----0Witty-- |title= Obituary in New Zealand Herald |publisher=Papers Past |date=9 March 2015}}
References
{{reflist}}
- {{citation|title=Three Party Politics in New Zealand, 1911-1931|first=Michael|last=Bassett|year=1982| publisher=Historical Publications|location=Auckland}}
- {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year=1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}
- {{cite book |editor-last=Wood |editor-first=G. Anthony |title=Ministers and Members: In the New Zealand Parliament |year=1996 |publisher=Otago University Press |location=Dunedin}}
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{{s-par|nz}}
{{s-bef|before=George Warren Russell}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Riccarton|years=1902–1925}}
{{s-aft|after=Bert Kyle}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witty, George}}
Category:New Zealand Liberal Party MPs
Category:Independent MPs of New Zealand
Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council
Category:Mayors of places in the Canterbury Region
Category:New Zealand businesspeople
Category:New Zealand people of English descent
Category:People from North Ferriby
Category:New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates
Category:Local politicians in New Zealand
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives