John Bathgate

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1871}}

|end = 1874

|term = 5th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|City of Dunedin}}

|party = Independent politician

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1881}}

|end = 1884

|term = 8th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Roslyn}}

|party = Independent politician

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Bathgate was born in Edinburgh in 1809. While a boy, the family moved to Peebles where his father had a teaching position. After school, he went to West Scotland to act as a private secretary and then to Edinburgh for an apprenticeship. At age 33, he married Miss Anderson. After her death, he married Miss McLaren. He had three sons, nine daughters, and (at the time of his death) 27 grandchildren.{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18860922.2.11 |access-date=16 September 2019 |work=Evening Star |issue=7014 |date=22 September 1886 |page=2}}

In his early 30s, Bathgate became town clerk in Peebles. Bathgate was the principal promoter of the Peebles Railway.

He was chosen by English backers as manager for the new Bank of Otago and emigrated to New Zealand within months. There was a great depression during the mid-1860s and Bathgate had lost money to the Commercial Banking Co., and had allowed the Southland Provincial Council to overdraw well beyond the agreed limit. These events put an end to Bathgate's banking career.{{cite book |page=353 |first=Robin |last=Cooke |author-link=Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon |title=Portrait of a Profession: The Centennial Book of the New Zealand Law Society |year=1969 |publisher=Reed Publishing |location=Wellington}}

From June 1871 to November 1872, he served on the Executive Council of the Otago Province.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=217}}

He represented two Dunedin electorates in the House of Representatives, first the City of Dunedin electorate from {{NZ election link year|1871}} to 1874, when he resigned to take up the offer by Premier Julius Vogel of resident magistrate in Dunedin and district judge for Otago, and the Roslyn electorate from {{NZ election link year|1881}} to 1884, when he was defeated.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=95}} He was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 15 May 1885 to 21 September 1886, when he died.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=73}} He was buried at Dunedin Northern Cemetery.{{cite web |url=http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries_search?recordid=77721&type=Burial |title=Cemeteries search |publisher=Dunedin City Council |access-date=5 July 2014}}

He was the father of Alexander Bathgate. John Denniston was his son-in-law.{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|p=201}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book | editor-last = Scholefield | editor-first = Guy | editor-link = Guy Scholefield | title = A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L | volume = I | year = 1940 | publisher = Department of Internal Affairs | location = Wellington | url = https://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v1.pdf | access-date = 12 December 2015}}
• {{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 Australasia|Bathgate, Hon. John}}

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{{s-par|nz}}

{{s-bef|before=Thomas Birch}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for City of Dunedin|years=1871–1874 | alongside = William Reynolds}}

{{s-aft|after=Nathaniel Wales}}

{{s-bef|before=Henry Driver}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Roslyn|years=1881–1884}}

{{s-aft|after=Archibald Hilson Ross}}

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{{s-bef | before=Henry Sewell}}

{{s-ttl| title=Minister of Justice | years=1872–1874}}

{{s-aft|after=Maurice O'Rorke}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathgate, John}}

Category:1809 births

Category:1886 deaths

Category:Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand

Category:New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates

Category:District Court of New Zealand judges

Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:Burials at Dunedin Northern Cemetery

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election

Category:Members of Otago provincial executive councils

Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians

Category:19th-century New Zealand judges

Category:People from Peebles

Category:Ministers of justice of New Zealand