Frank Lawry

Francis "Frank" Lawry (1839 – 19 January 1921) was a conservative then Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

Frank Lawry
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Parnell
In office 1890–1911
Preceded by	Frederick Moss
Succeeded by	James Dickson
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Franklin North
In office 1887–1890
Preceded by	Frank Buckland
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	1839 Bleadon, Somerset, England
Died	19 January 1921 (aged 81) Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Sarah Davies ( m. 1868)

Biography

Early life

Lawry was born in Bleadon, Somerset, England, in 1839, the son of William Lawry, a farmer and Methodist minister. He was educated at the British school at Weston-super-Mare, and then entered a career in farming. Lawry emigrated to New Zealand in 1863 aboard the ship Ulcoates.[1] At Epsom on 21 October 1868 he married Sarah Davies.[2] The couple went on to have one daughter.[1]

Lawry entered public life as a member of the North Auckland Cattle Boards and was later president of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He was the chairman of the Epsom Road Board for thirteen consecutive years and spent two years as a member of the Board of Education. He was also a Freemason.[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1887–1890	10th	Franklin North		Independent
1890–1891	11th	Parnell		Independent
1891–1893	Changed allegiance to:			Liberal
1893–1896	12th	Parnell		Liberal
1896–1899	13th	Parnell		Liberal
1899–1902	14th	Parnell		Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Parnell		Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Parnell		Liberal
1908–1911	17th	Parnell		Liberal

In the 1881 general election he contested the Franklin South electorate. He was beaten by Ebenezer Hamlin, by the mere majority of 40 votes.[3] In 1884 he stood against Maurice O'Rorke in Manukau, but was again defeated by 127 votes.[1] He won the Franklin North electorate in 1887, and then the Parnell electorate in 1890 which he represented until he retired in 1911.[4]

In the 1890 election, he was listed as a supporter of the conservative Atkinson Ministry, led by Harry Atkinson.[5] Following the election, he did change his allegiance to the Liberal Party and became Senior Whip for the Liberal Government from 1891 until his resignation from the role on 29 October 1894.[6]

Throughout his long Parliamentary career he was a member of many committees, chiefly the Agricultural and Pastoral Committee, which for several years he was its chairman.[1]

Death

Lawry died in Auckland in 1921,[1] and was buried at St Matthias' Church, Panmure.[7]

Notes

1. "Obituary: Mr. Frank Lawry". New Zealand Herald. 20 January 1921. p. 8. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
2. "Marriage". New Zealand Herald. 31 October 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
3. Wilson 1985, p. 202.
4. Wilson 1985, p. 212.
5. "Parliamentary candidates". The Press. XLVIL (7722). 29 November 1890. p. 5. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 279.
7. "New Zealand, cemetery records, 1800–2007". Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2015.

References

• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Frank Buckland	Member of Parliament for Franklin North 1887–1890	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Frederick Moss	Member of Parliament for Parnell 1890–1911	Succeeded by James Dickson
Party political offices
Preceded by Westby Perceval	Senior Whip of the Liberal Party 1891–1894	Succeeded by Charles H. Mills