Henry Clapcott

Henry Clapcott (1830 – 19 September 1897) was a New Zealand businessman and politician.

Clapcott was born in England. He trained for the church in his home country. He travelled to Otago, New Zealand, on the Carnatic in 1853 with his brother, J(F). Clapcott. At first, he was farming in the Popotunoa Gorge near Clinton. On 10 December 1864 it was announced that Clapcott had become one of the trustees of the Dunedin Savings Bank along with William Mason, after the resignation of T. S. Forsaith and the leaving of the country by George Duncan.

Clapcott was elected to the Otago Provincial Council on 14 April 1864 in the Wakatipu electorate. A month later on 17 May, he joined the Otago Executive Council as their treasurer, and remained in that role until 18 April 1865 when the executive resigned over a lost no-confidence vote. He originally had his name forward as a candidate at the April 1865 Bruce parliamentary by-election, but supporters of him withdrew his nomination three days before the election. Clapcott was briefly a candidate for the August 1865 Otago superintendency election, but retired prior to the election in favour of Thomas Dick, who was eventually the successful candidate. Clapcott resigned from the provincial council on 16 August 1865; it was rumoured that this was brought about by a mixture of personal affairs, and the mocking he received while standing for the role as superintendent. He afterwards withdrew from public life.

Clapcott was married to Annie Clapcott. In November 1859, they lost a baby daughter aged 17 days. In July 1874, they lost a son aged 17 months. Clapcott died, aged 67, on 19 September 1897 in Newington, Dunedin, which is today part of the suburb of Maori Hill. His wife died five weeks later of Bright's disease. All four family members share a family grave at the Dunedin Southern Cemetery.

...
Wikipedia