Frederick Flatman

Frederick Robert Flatman (1843 – 21 September 1911) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament of the Liberal Party for the Pareora and Geraldine electorates.

Frederick Robert Flatman
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Pareora
In office 1893–1896
Preceded by	New electorate
Succeeded by	Electorate abolished
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Geraldine
In office 1896–1908
Preceded by	Electorate in abeyance
Succeeded by	Thomas Buxton
Personal details
Born	1843 Suffolk, England
Died	21 September 1911 Woodbury near Geraldine

Early life

Flatman was born in Suffolk and went to school in Oulton Broad. He came to Lyttelton on the Mary Ann in 1862 and went to South Canterbury. He was a successful businessman, and was storekeeper in Geraldine and Woodbury, and a sawmiller, before he concentrated on farming.[1][2]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1893–1896	12th	Pareora		Liberal
1896–1899	13th	Geraldine		Liberal
1899–1902	14th	Geraldine		Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Geraldine		Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Geraldine		Liberal

Flatman represented the Pareora and Geraldine electorates for fifteen years (1893–1908) in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[3] He defeated Arthur Rhodes for the Pareora electorate in 1893 by 1594 to 1377 votes.[4] From 1904 to 1906 Flatman served as the Liberal Party's senior whip.[5] In 1908 he was defeated by William Nosworthy for the Ashburton electorate in the second ballot.[6]

The Lyttelton Times described Frederick Flatman as a member "not of the ornamental type, but plain, blunt, possessing strong convictions, straightforward manners and simple directness of speech. He also acquired in 3 years a surprising grasp and mastery of political questions. He was certainly the best of the South Island farmer members-perhaps the best in New Zealand. He was a fine man."[7]

Death

He died on 21 September 1911 at Woodbury near Geraldine.[8]

Notes

1. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Geraldine". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
2. The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912 By David Hamer (1988, Auckland University Press, Auckland), p. 362
3. Wilson 1985, p. 197.
4. "The General Election". Timaru Herald. LV (5828). 1 December 1893. p. 3. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
5. Wilson 1985, p. 279.
6. "The General Election, 1908". National Library. 1909. pp. 19, 33. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
7. Lyttelton Times. 22 September 1911. Missing or empty |title= (help)
8. "Obituary". Ashburton Guardian. XXXI (8477). 21 September 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 8 November 2011.

References

• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 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
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Pareora 1893–1896	Constituency abolished
In abeyance Title last held by Arthur Rhodes	Member of Parliament for Geraldine 1896–1908	Succeeded by Thomas Buxton
Party political offices
Preceded by John O'Meara	Senior Whip of the Liberal Party 1904–1906	Succeeded by Alfred Kidd