William Travers (politician)
| William Travers | |
|---|---|
Travers, c.1879
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Thomas Locke Travers January 1819 Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Died | 23 April 1903 (aged 84) Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
| Relatives | Henry Travers (son) |
| Profession | Lawyer, magistrate, politician, explorer, naturalist, photographer |
William Thomas Locke Travers (January 1819 – 23 April 1903) was a New Zealand lawyer, politician, explorer, and naturalist.
Travers was born near Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland, either on 9 or 19 January 1819. His father chose to retire to France, and Travers was consequently brought up there. He was educated in Saint-Malo, a town in Brittany. In 1835, he joined the British military, and was part of the British Auxiliary Legion that fought in Spain's First Carlist War. After his military service ended, Travers became a lawyer. In 1849, he and his family moved to Nelson, New Zealand, where he continued to practice law. Later, he also lived in Christchurch and Wellington. He purchased Englefield Lodge in Christchurch in 1866 and sold the property in 1872 to Edward Stevens.
Travers' political career covered both national and provincial politics. He was a member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament, representing first the Town of Nelson and then Waimea electorates, and served in the brief Forsaith Ministry formed by Thomas Forsaith.
In the 1st Parliament, the Town of Nelson was a two member electorate. On nomination day on 25 July 1853, Travers and James Mackay were the only candidates put forward. They were thus declared elected unopposed. Parliament's first term started on 24 May 1854. Travers and William Cautley, MP for Waimea, both resigned on 26 May 1854. Travers subsequently contested the electorate that Cautley had vacated, being elected in the 21 June 1854 Waimea by-election. He was re-elected in the 1855 general election, but was disqualified on 26 July 1859.
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