William James Speight (1843 – 24 April 1919) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.

William Speight

Biography

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1879–1881 7th Auckland East Independent

Speight was born in Dublin in 1843, where he attended the Blue Coat School. He trained as a mechanical engineer in his father's firm and emigrated to New Zealand in 1865 on the Maori. When gold was found in the Coromandel, he moved to Thames.[1]

He married his cousin, a daughter of Isaac Speight, in 1872. They had six sons and three daughters.[1]

He contested the Auckland East electorate in the 1879 general election against James Clark and with 371 to 363 votes obtained a narrow victory.[2] He represented the electorate until the end of the parliamentary term in 1881, when he was defeated (for the Thames electorate).[3]

Speight died in Auckland on 24 April 1919,[4] and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Cyclopedia Company Limited (1902). "Mr. William James Speight". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Auckland Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  2. ^ "The City East Election". Auckland Star. Vol. X, no. 2939. 15 September 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  3. ^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 (4 ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 235. OCLC 154283103.
  4. ^ "Deaths". New Zealand Herald. 25 April 1919. p. 1. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Burial & cremation details". Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium. Retrieved 22 January 2016.