James Stuart-Wortley (New Zealand politician)

Stuart-Wortley was born in York{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}, United Kingdom, on 16 January 1833 and was the third son of the 2nd Lord Wharncliffe and his wife, Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Ryder.{{sfn|Sewell|1980|p=168}} He was the younger brother of the 1st Earl of Wharncliffe (1827–1899). Charles James Stuart-Wortley and James Stuart-Wortley were his uncles.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby was his maternal grandfather.

In 1850, he travelled to New Zealand as a colonist on the Charlotte Jane, one of the First Four Ships sent by the Canterbury Association.{{cite web |title=The Charlotte Jane |url= http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/charlottejane.html |publisher=Shadows of Time |access-date=12 January 2012}} In his first year, he lived with other bachelors in Lyttelton—Charles Bowen, Thomas Hanmer, and Charles Maunsell—in a place dubbed "Singleton House" by Charlotte Godley.{{cite book | title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand | orig-year=originally published in 1966 |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/bowen-sir-charles-christopher-kcmg/1 | editor-first=A. H. | editor-last=McLintock | editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock | access-date= 20 September 2012 | chapter= BOWEN, Sir Charles Christopher, K.C.M.G. | date= 27 October 2011 }}

He bought {{convert|500|acre}} of land at Tai Tapu near Halswell.{{sfn|Sewell|1980|p=168}} In October 1852, he purchased Run 53, located between Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and the Selwyn River. He on-sold the land in June 1853 and it became part of the Harman and Davie's Station.{{sfn|Acland|1946|p=94}} Stuart-Wortley then started Hawkeswood Station in partnership with others. This station was located north of the Waiau Uwha River.{{sfn|Acland|1946|p=94}}

{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}

{{NZ parlbox

|start = 1853

|end = 1855

|term = 1st

|electorate = Christchurch Country

|party = Independent politician

}}

{{End}}

On 27 August 1853, Stuart-Wortley was elected to the 1st New Zealand Parliament as a representative of the Christchurch Country electorate,{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=141}} which consisted of rural Canterbury and much of Westland. Henry Sewell, who kept a "secret" journal,{{efn|The journal was written for friends and family in England, and Sewell asked that it only be published after his death. It was not before 1920 that his journal became accessible through a library, and 1980 before it was published as a book with two volumes.{{sfn|Sewell|1980|loc=dust jacket}}}} recorded the following about the young man's candidacy:{{sfn|Sewell|1980|p=365}}

There is doubt whether he is actually of age. The Peerage says no, but he says yes, and upon the best authority, namely that of his family lawyers.

Stuart-Wortley was 20 years and 7 months when elected; so was not yet 21, the minimum age to qualify as an elector.{{Cite web |title=Youngest members of Parliament – New Zealand Parliament |url= https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/mps-and-parliaments-1854-onwards/youngest-members-of-parliament/ |access-date=9 November 2020 |website=parliament.nz }}{{Cite news |title=Looking back on New Zealand's youngest MPs as 17yo William Wood attempts to change history |work=Newshub |url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/11/looking-back-on-new-zealand-s-youngest-mps-as-17yo-william-wood-attempts-to-change-history.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191127232028/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/11/looking-back-on-new-zealand-s-youngest-mps-as-17yo-william-wood-attempts-to-change-history.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 27 November 2019 |access-date=9 November 2020}}

After the first session of Parliament finished in August 1854, Stuart-Wortley travelled with Frederick Weld from Auckland (where Parliament met in those years) to Tauranga, Maketu, and Rotorua.{{cite news|title=English cottage home to NZ premier's works |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/7327317/English-cottage-home-to-NZ-premiers-works |access-date=20 September 2012 |work=Waikato Times|date=23 July 2012}} He resigned his seat on 18 July 1855{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=141}} and returned to the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Cyclopedia Company|1903|p=91}} His seat stayed vacant until the next election, which was held on 20 December 1855 in the Christchurch Country electorate.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=97}}

He was appointed a justice of the peace in early 1858.{{cite news|title=Notices of Motion|url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DSC18580223.2.14 |access-date=21 September 2012|work=Daily Southern Cross|volume=XV|issue= 1112 |date=23 February 1858|page=3}} He returned to England later in 1858.{{sfn|Sewell|1980|p=168}}

In the UK, he stood for election to the House of Commons at the 1865 general election, when he was an unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate for Sheffield.{{sfn|Craig|1989|p=273}}

Stuart-Wortley died in England in November 1870, aged 37.{{cite news|title=Special Telegrams|url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18701227.2.13.3 |access-date=21 September 2012|work=The Star|issue=807 |date=27 December 1870|page=4}} His elder brother Edward built St Mary and St John's Church, Hardraw as a memorial to him.{{cite news |author= |title=An Account of Some Yorkshire Parishes – No. 14. |url= http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18910912/089/0011 |work=Yorkshire Gazette |location=England |date=12 September 1891 |access-date=31 December 2016 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

|last = Acland

|first = L. G. D.

|title = The Early Canterbury Runs: Containing the First, Second and Third (new) Series

|year = 1946

|publisher = Whitcombe and Tombs Limited

|location = Christchurch

|url = http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-AclEarl-t1-body-d4.html

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Craig

|first=F. W. S.

|author-link= F. W. S. Craig

|title=British parliamentary election results 1832–1885

|orig-year=1977

|edition= 2nd

|year=1989

|publisher=Parliamentary Research Services

|location=Chichester

|isbn= 0-900178-26-4

}}

• {{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand – Canterbury Provincial District|publisher=The Cyclopedia Company Limited |location=Christchurch |year=1903 |chapter=Christchurch City And Suburban – Ex-Members of the House of Representatives|url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d6-d3.html#name-420403-mention |ref={{harvid|Cyclopedia Company|1903}} }}
• {{Cite book |last= Scholefield |first= Guy |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 |author-link= Guy Scholefield |edition=3rd |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1950 |publisher=Govt. Printer |location= Wellington}}
• {{cite book

|last = Sewell

|first = Henry

|title = The Journal of Henry Sewell 1853–7 : Volume I

|year = 1980

|publisher = Whitcoulls Publishers

|location = Christchurch

|isbn = 0-7233-0624-9

|author-link = Henry Sewell

|editor = W. David McIntyre

}}

{{S-start}}

{{S-par | nz}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{S-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Christchurch Country|years=1853–1855 |alongside = Jerningham Wakefield}}

{{S-aft | after = Dingley Askham Brittin
John Hall}}

{{end}}

{{First Four Ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart-Wortley, James Frederick}}

Category:1833 births

Category:1870 deaths

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:Younger sons of barons

James

Category:Politicians from York

Category:Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates

Category:Canterbury Pilgrims

Category:New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates

Category:English emigrants to New Zealand

Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians