Robert Fletcher (New Zealand politician)

Fletcher was born in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, on 3 July 1863, the son of David Fletcher and his wife Margaret Ann Duncan.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19180904.2.36 | title=Obituary: death of Mr. Robert Fletcher, M.P. | date=4 September 1918 | work=Evening Post |access-date=18 April 2015 | page=6 }}{{cite web |url=http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=try&db=FS1ScotlandBirthsandBaptisms&h=25292575 |title=Scotland, select births and baptisms, 1564–1950 |year=2014 |website= |publisher=Ancestry.com |access-date=18 April 2015 |url-access=subscription }} After briefly working for the Midland Railway Company, he became a sailor for eight years with the Dundee Shipping Line, and arrived in New Zealand in 1883. He worked as a sailor in coastal shipping until 1885, when he became a pilot for the Wellington Harbour Board and, later, worked on the wharves.{{cite book |editor-last=Scholefield | editor-first=G.H. |title=A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography |year=1940 | volume=1 |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |location=Wellington |page=267}} He was a prominent Freemason in Wellington.

Fletcher was elected as a member of the Wellington Harbour Board in 1906, and held his seat until his death in 1918. He served as the board's chair between 1910 and 1915. From 1907 to 1915 he was also a member of the Wellington City Council. Fletcher contested the 1915 mayoralty contest, coming second to incumbent Mayor John Luke.{{cite news |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19150508.2.107.8 |work = Evening Post |page=8 |title=Wellington City Council |date= 8 May 1915 |access-date= 25 May 2016 | volume=LXXXIX | issue=108 }}

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1914}}

|end = 1918

|term = 19th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Wellington Central}}

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

}}

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The {{NZ electorate link|Wellington Central}} electorate was formed for the {{NZ election link|1905}}, and it was held from the beginning by Francis Fisher (known as Rainbow Fisher for his frequent changes of political allegiance). The 1911 general election required a second ballot if no candidate could achieve an absolute majority in the first round. The election was contested by Fisher (for the Reform Party), Fletcher, Tom Young (Labour Party) and Frank Freeman (Socialist Party), with Fisher having a majority of one vote over Fletcher.{{cite news|title=The Wellington Central Seat|url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC19111212.2.42 |access-date=30 August 2011|newspaper=Colonist|volume=LIV |issue=13287 |date=12 December 1911|page=4}} In the second ballot a week later, Fisher beat Fletcher with a majority of 150 votes.{{cite news|title=Wellington Central|url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19111215.2.33 |access-date=30 August 2011|newspaper=The Evening Post|volume=LXXXII |issue=144 |date=15 December 1911|page=2}} By the next general election in 1914, the incumbent Fisher as a government minister contested Wellington Central against Fletcher again, and he was decisively beaten by 2677 votes to 4910.{{cite news|title=Wellington Central|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19141211.2.15|access-date=30 August 2011|newspaper=The Evening Post|volume=LXXXVIII |issue=141 |date=11 December 1914|page=3}}

Fletcher represented Wellington Central in Parliament until 4 September 1918, when he died at his home in Wellington, having been in poor health for over a year.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DOM19180905.2.2.2 | title=Death | date=5 September 1918 | work=The Dominion |access-date=18 April 2015 | page=1 }}{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-date= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |pages=197–198}}{{cite book |first = Barry |last = Gustafson |author-link= Barry Gustafson |title = Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19 |place = Auckland, New Zealand |publisher = Auckland University Press |year = 1980 |page =134 |isbn = 0-19-647986-X }} The by-election caused by his death was won by future Prime Minister Peter Fraser of the Labour Party.

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• {{citation |title = Ephemera concerning local authority politics and elections in the Wellington area, 1900-1969 |place = n.p. |publisher = n.p. |year = 1900–1969}}

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

{{s-ttl | title=Chair of Wellington Harbour Board|years= 1910–1915}}

{{s-aft | after=Charles Edward Daniell}}

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{{s-bef|before=Francis Fisher}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Wellington Central|years=1914–1918}}

{{s-aft|after=Peter Fraser}}

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Category:1863 births

Category:1918 deaths

Category:People from St Andrews

Category:Scottish emigrants to New Zealand

Category:Wellington City Councillors

Category:New Zealand Liberal Party MPs

Category:New Zealand MPs for Wellington electorates

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1911 New Zealand general election

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:New Zealand Freemasons

Category:Wellington Harbour Board members