Edward Cephas John Stevens
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The Honourable Edward Stevens MLC |
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Edward Stevens
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| New Zealand Legislative Councillor | |
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In office 1882–1915 |
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| Succeeded by | John Andrew Millar |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Selwyn |
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In office 1866 – 1870 |
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| Preceded by | new constituency |
| Succeeded by | William Reeves |
| Majority | unopposed |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Christchurch |
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In office 1876 – 1881 |
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| Preceded by | new constituency |
| Succeeded by | constituency abolished |
| Canterbury Provincial Councillor | |
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In office 1863–1866 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1837 London |
| Died | 6 June 1915 (aged 77) Englefield (his residence) |
| Resting place | St. Peter’s Anglican Church cemetery, Upper Riccarton (43°31′54″S 172°34′12″E / 43.53170°S 172.56990°E) |
| Spouse(s) | Maria |
| Children |
Frederic Whitcombe (son of his wife) George, second son died in infancy |
| Residence | Englefield |
| Profession | politician, land and estate agent |
Edward Cephas John Stevens MLC (18 October 1837 – 6 June 1915) was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch Press for many decades. He was instrumental in introducing cricket to Canterbury and one of his dealings as a land and estate agent resulted in the creation of Lancaster Park, currently known as AMI Stadium.
Stevens was born at Salford in the county of Oxfordshire, England. He was the youngest son of Reverend William Everest Stevens (the local rector), and his wife, Mary James. He was educated at Marlborough College and at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.
At age 21, Stevens emigrated to New Zealand. Among the passengers were the surveyor John Henry Whitcombe (known by his middle name Henry) with his wife, Maria Whitcombe (née North), and their family. Several sources say that they arrived in Lyttelton on 20 September 1858 on the Zealandia. However, the Whitcombes and Stevens are not included in the passenger list of the September 1858 arrival.
Guise Brittan established notable properties. In 1862, Stevens bought Brittan's second home 'Englefield', a 50-acre (200,000 m2) tract on Rural Section 26 situated where FitzGerald Avenue meets the Avon River. The house, which still stands, had a commanding view of the annual opening of the boating regattas.
Henry Whitcombe, after whom Whitcombe Pass is named, drowned in 1863 in the Taramakau River on one of his many West Coast exploration trips. Stevens was put in charge of the fund which allowed the Whitcombe boys to attend Christ’s College. On 20 May 1869, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Upper Riccarton, Stevens married Maria Whitcombe. They had two sons, one of whom died in infancy. One of Maria's sons was Frederic Whitcombe.
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