William Richmond
| William Richmond | |
|---|---|
Judge Christopher William Richmond ca 1888
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| 5th Colonial Secretary | |
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In office 2 June 1856 – 4 November 1856 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Stafford |
| 6th Colonial Treasurer | |
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In office 4 November 1856 – 25 February 1859 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Stafford |
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In office 26 April 1859 – 12 July 1861 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Stafford |
| 1st Minister of Native Affairs | |
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In office 27 August 1858 – 10 November 1860 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Stafford |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Town of New Plymouth |
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In office 1855 – 1862 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
12 July 1821 London, England |
| Died | 3 August 1895 (aged 74) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Elizabeth Atkinson |
| Relations |
James Crowe Richmond (brother) Henry Robert Richmond (brother) Jane Maria Atkinson (sister) Harry Atkinson (brother-in-law) Arthur Samuel Atkinson (brother-in-law) Dorothy Kate Richmond (niece) Torchy Atkinson (great-nephew) Monica Brewster (great-niece) |
| Children | Five daughters, four sons, including Mary Richmond |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician, judge |
Christopher William Richmond (12 July 1821 – 3 August 1895), generally called William Richmond, was a 19th-century New Zealand politician. He held a number of Cabinet positions between 1856 and 1861. He worked as a lawyer and was appointed a senior judge.
Richmond was probably born in London on 12 July 1821. His father, Christopher Richmond, died when William Richmond was only ten years old, leaving William in the sole care of Maria (Lely) Wilson, his mother. He was raised in the Unitarian faith, and attended Unitarian schools. His health was always delicate, and he suffered from severe asthma throughout his life. From 1841 to 1843, he was in France, but in 1844, he began working in various law offices. He also developed a strong friendship with Richard Holt Hutton, a writer and theologian who influenced his views considerably.
Richmond became a practising lawyer in 1847, but business was poor. James Crowe Richmond and Henry Robert Richmond, his two younger brothers, sought better fortunes in New Plymouth, New Zealand, in 1850, and William Richmond considered joining them. On 15 September 1852, Richmond married Emily Elizabeth Atkinson, described by Joseph Hutton (father of Richmond's friend Richard Holt Hutton) as "a remarkable woman of singular intellectual power, moral earnestness and charming spontaneity of character". Shortly after their marriage, the two set out for New Zealand on the Sir Edward Paget, being joined by his mother, his sister, and Harry and Arthur Atkinson (two brothers of Emily; Harry would later become Premier). In New Plymouth, Richmond re-established his law practice, and soon became a prominent member of the local community.
On 5 November 1855, he was elected to represent the Town of New Plymouth electorate in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament. When Edward Stafford formed a government on 2 June 1856, Richmond accepted an invitation to become Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern Minister of Internal Affairs). When Henry Sewell resigned, Richmond also became Colonial Treasurer (forerunner to the modern Minister of Finance), although Sewell briefly resumed this post for two months in 1859. On 27 August 1858, he became New Zealand's first Minister for Native Affairs, but lost this post to Frederick Weld in late 1860. He also served as Commissioner of Customs.
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Wikipedia