Robert Hart (politician)

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Robert Hart
Member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament
for City of Wellington
In office
1854–1855
Prime MinisterJames FitzGerald (head of the Executive Council)
Preceded byn/a
Succeeded byIsaac Featherston
William Fitzherbert
Personal details
Born1814
Died1894
RelationsGeorge Hart (brother)
Donald McLean (brother-in-law)
OccupationLawyer

Robert Hart (1814 – 16 September 1894) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician.

Biography[edit]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1853–1855 1st City of Wellington Independent

Hart was also baptised on 4 April 1815. He and his brother George left London in April 1843 on board the Mary, arriving in Wellington on 9 August 1843.[1][2]

He was a well-known solicitor and barrister in Wellington, first with the firm Messrs. Holroyd and Hart, then for many years as the principal member of the firm Messrs Hart and Buckley.[3]

He was elected in 1853 to the 1st New Zealand Parliament, representing the City of Wellington electorate, but did not serve in any further Parliaments.[4] In the 1855 general election, five people contested the City of Wellington electorate. Whilst the results were close, Hart came last and was not returned.[5] He contested 27 December 1856 by-election against Samuel Revans in the Hutt electorate and gained 24 votes against 96 for Revans.[6]

In 1859, he was appointed Judge of the District Courts of Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Wanganui.[7] He was appointed to the Legislative Council on 9 July 1872, and remained a member until his death in 1894.[4]

He married Catherine McLean on 10 January 1867 at St. Andrew's Church, Wellington. Catherine was the sister of Donald McLean, the Superintendent of Hawke's Bay Province.[8] His brother was the politician George Hart.[9]

References[edit]

Notes
  1. ^ Shipping Intelligence: Arrived, New Zealand and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 271, 12 August 1843, page 2.
  2. ^ Custom House: Imports, New Zealand and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 274, 23 August 1843, page 2.
  3. ^ "Obituary: Death of the Hon Robert Hart", in Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 10110, 17 September 1894, Page 2.
  4. ^ a b Scholefield 1950, p. 112.
  5. ^ "The New Zealander". Vol. 11, no. 1010. 22 December 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  6. ^ "THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, December 30, 1856". Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XIII, no. 992. 30 December 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  7. ^ "New Zealand Gazette", in Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1240, 29 July 1859, Page 5.
  8. ^ "Marriages", in Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 2962, 22 January 1867, Page 3.
  9. ^ "Obituary". The Star. No. 5342. 21 August 1895. p. 4. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
Sources
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.