William Herries

Sir William Herries KCMG
File:William Herbert Herries, 1921.jpg William Herries in 1921
Born	William Herbert Herries (1859-04-19)19 April 1859 London, England
Died	Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Occupation	politician

Sir William Herbert Herries KCMG (19 April 1859 – 22 February 1923) was an English-born New Zealand politician.

Biography

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1896–1899	13th	Bay of Plenty		Independent
1899–1902	14th	Bay of Plenty		Independent
1902–1905	15th	Bay of Plenty		Independent
1905–1908	16th	Bay of Plenty		Independent
1908–1909	17th	Tauranga		Independent
1909–1911	Changed allegiance to:			Reform
1911–1914	18th	Tauranga		Reform
1914–1919	19th	Tauranga		Reform
1919–1922	20th	Tauranga		Reform
1922–1923	21st	Tauranga		Reform

Herries was born in London, the son of Herbert Crompton Herries, a barrister, and his wife, Leonora Emma Wickham. His grandfather was Henry Lewis Wickham, a Receiver General of Gibraltar. The English MP William Wickham was his uncle. From a wealthy middle-class family, he was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences.

At the age of 22 he emigrated to New Zealand and became a farmer near Te Aroha, with a passion for racing and breeding horses. On 4 December 1889, he married his neighbour Catherine Louisa Roche; they remained without children.

Herries was elected to the House of Representatives for the Bay of Plenty electorate in 1896, holding the seat until 1908, when he was elected for Tauranga, which he held until his death. He became a member of the Reform Party, which formed in 1909.

The Herries travelled to England in 1912; they left on 21 March on the Iconic. The journey was a disaster, though. Just before they left, his mother died in New Zealand. His wife, who had been in indifferent health, died on the journey to England.

He was the Minister of Native Affairs from 1912 to February 1921, Minister of Railways from 1912 to 1919, Minister of Marine and Minister of Customs from 1919 to February 1921, and Minister of Labour from 1920 to February 1921 in the Reform Government.

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours. He died in Wellington on 22 February 1923.

References

Political offices
Preceded by Arthur Myers	Minister of Railways 1912–1919	Succeeded by William Massey
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by William Kelly	Member of Parliament for Bay of Plenty 1896–1908	Succeeded by William MacDonald
In abeyance Title last held by William Kelly	Member of Parliament for Tauranga 1908–1923	Succeeded by Charles MacMillan