Westby Perceval

Sir Westby Perceval KCMG
Westby Perceval, c. 1890
6th Chairman of Committees
In office 23 June 1891 – 15 September 1891
Preceded by	Ebenezer Hamlin
Succeeded by	William Lee Rees
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Christchurch South
In office 26 September 1887 – 4 December 1890
Preceded by	John Holmes
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Christchurch
In office 5 December 1890 – September 1891
Preceded by	Samuel Paull Andrews Edward Richardson Edward Cephas John Stevens
Succeeded by	William Pember Reeves Richard Molesworth Taylor Ebenezer Sandford
Personal details
Born	Westby Brook Perceval 11 May 1854 Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Died	23 January 1928(1928-01-23) (aged 73) Surrey, England

Sir Westby Brook Perceval KCMG (11 May 1854 – 23 January 1928) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.

Perceval was born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1854. His mother was Sarah Brook (née Bailey) and his father was her husband, Westby Hawkshaw Percival, an Irish member of the mounted police in Melbourne. In the early 1860s, the family moved to Rangiora in New Zealand, a township 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of Christchurch. He received his early education at Merton's school, where he became friends with William Pember Reeves. In 1867 he won a junior Somes scholarship to Christ's College, Christchurch. At the age of 16, in May 1870, he was received into the Catholic church. He completed his secondary education at Stonyhurst College in England. In 1872, he inherited sufficient land upon his father's death that he had a secure income.

He married Jessie Johnston, daughter of John Johnston, in 1880. He was a lawyer in Christchurch.

He represented the Christchurch South electorate from the 1887 general election to the end of the parliamentary term in 1890, and then the City of Christchurch electorate from the 1890 general election to September 1891, when he resigned. For the last three months in Parliament, he was Chairman of Committees.