James Clark (New Zealand)
Encyclopedia
James McCosh Clark was Mayor of Auckland in the 1880s. He was a successful businessman until many of his ventures failed during the depression of the 1880s, which caused him to return to England for the last decade of his life. He was the son of Archibald Clark
.
, Scotland, in 1833, the eldest son of the merchant Archibald Clark
and his first wife, Margaret McCosh. He was educated at Largs
. Archibald Clark decided to emigrate to New Zealand with his third wife and four children; the family left London on the barque Thames on 18 July 1849 and arrived in Auckland
on 25 November. He joined the Volunteer Forces and was a Captain in the Invasion of Waikato in 1863.
in the Coromandel
.
Together with John Logan Campbell
, Gustav von der Heyde
, John McEffer Shera
and others, Clark set up the New Zealand Freight Company in 1872, which amalgamated with the New Zealand Shipping Company the following year. All the Auckland shipping owners combined into one company in 1881, the Northern Steam Ship Company, of which Clark was appointed one of the directors. The depression in the second half of the 1880s affected this company, but Clark managed to the secure the services of a new managing director in 1888 who could turn the situation around.
Clark was one of the financial backers of business entrepreneur Thomas Russell
, who in 1859 had founded the New Zealand Insurance
(NZI). The group of businessmen and companies behind Russell became known as the Limited Circle, and they were financing much of the development of Auckland. The funds came from the proceeds of the Thames gold rush. Members of the Limited Circle founded the Bank of New Zealand
in 1861 and Clark was on the board of directors. He was president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in 1879–1881.
With Josiah Firth
, Clark established the Te Aroha Battery Company, a gold mining company. It was one of the many speculative deals which did not go well, and the depression in the second half of the 1880s necessitated a sale, which was done in 1887 incurring a great loss. The Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company was another such venture; it built parts of the Rotorua
and Kinleith
branches before its collapse. While Archibald Clark and Sons prospered, several other of Clark's businesses failed, and having lost his high standing in society, he took his family back to England in 1889.
, representing the Newton electorate on the 6th Council from December 1869 to September 1870.
He was Mayor of Auckland
from 1880 to 1883. In November 1880, 1881 and 1882, respectively, he was elected unopposed on all occasions. During his reign, the first tramway was built and the site for the Auckland Town Hall
was purchased. Clark's council decided on the site of the library and art gallery, still occupied today by the Auckland Art Gallery
. On retiring from the mayoralty, he was given a telescope
in appreciation of his services. In 1886–1887, Clark represented the Grafton ward as a Councillor. Other local body roles included the chairmanship of the Auckland Harbour Board and of the Education Board.
Clark stood for Parliament
on three occasions. In the 1875–76 general election, he was nominated by Thomas Peacock
, but unsuccessfully contested the Auckland East
electorate against William Lee Rees
, polling 266 votes against 300. Clark then contested the Auckland East electorate in the 1879 general election
against William Speight
and was narrowly defeated with 363 to 371 votes. Clark was re-elected mayor in 1881 and declared that he would not stand in the 1881 general election
, as he could not do justice to both commitments, but he changed his mind when it was announced that Sir George Grey
would stand in Auckland East. It is said that Clark did not intend to be elected, he merely stood to oppose and defeat Grey. The results were 349 and 315 votes for Grey and Clark, respectively, and Grey was declared elected with a majority of 34 votes.
and was the national treasurer for ten years from 1862. In 1865, he purchased The Tower, a large house in Remuera, as his residence. The building is these days part of King's School
.
He married Kate Emma McCosh Clark (née Woolnough) on 8 April 1875 in Melbourne. Two days later, on a Saturday, the Auckland premises of Archibald Clark and Sons were closed to give staff the opportunity to celebrate the wedding at. His wife was born at Ipswich
, Suffolk, England in 1847. She studied art and lived in London, earning a living by undertaking research for writers. They had five children while they lived in Auckland, and their first son was born on 28 December 1875. After many of Clark's businesses had failed, the family migrated to London. In early 1898, they were making plans to return to New Zealand.
. He was survived by his wife and his five children. His wife returned to New Zealand in 1900 and died at Auckland on 3 November 1926.
Archibald Clark (politician)
Archibald Clark was a 19th century Member of Parliament in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. He was the first Mayor of Auckland in 1851. His company, Archibald Clark and Sons, manufactured clothing and was a wholesaler.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Clark was born in BeithBeith
Beith is a small town situated in the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately 20-miles south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "Hill o' Beith" after its Court Hill.-History:-Name:Beith's name is thought to emanate from...
, Scotland, in 1833, the eldest son of the merchant Archibald Clark
Archibald Clark (politician)
Archibald Clark was a 19th century Member of Parliament in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. He was the first Mayor of Auckland in 1851. His company, Archibald Clark and Sons, manufactured clothing and was a wholesaler.-Early life:...
and his first wife, Margaret McCosh. He was educated at Largs
Largs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
. Archibald Clark decided to emigrate to New Zealand with his third wife and four children; the family left London on the barque Thames on 18 July 1849 and arrived in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
on 25 November. He joined the Volunteer Forces and was a Captain in the Invasion of Waikato in 1863.
Professional life
Clark joined his father's company as a partner in 1856 or 1857, and the company was renamed Archibald Clark and Sons. They manufactured clothing and were a wholesaler, at one time employing some 500 staff. Clark became the senior partner following his father's death in October 1875. He was involved in numerous other companies. His investment in the Moanataiari gold mining company made him a rich man. Moanataiari is now a suburb of ThamesThames, New Zealand
Thames is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council....
in the Coromandel
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
.
Together with John Logan Campbell
John Logan Campbell
Sir John Logan Campbell was a prominent New Zealand public figure. He was the son of Doctor John Campbell and his wife Catherine. He was described by his contemporaries as "the father of Auckland".- Early life:...
, Gustav von der Heyde
Gustav von der Heyde
Gustav Ludwig Theodor von der Heyde was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.He represented the Waitemata electorate in 1874 when he was unseated on a petition, and then from 8 September 1874 to 6 December 1875, when he retired.He was a member of the Auckland City Council...
, John McEffer Shera
John McEffer Shera
John McEffer Shera was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.He represented the City of Auckland multi-member electorate from 1890 to 1893, when he was defeated.-References:...
and others, Clark set up the New Zealand Freight Company in 1872, which amalgamated with the New Zealand Shipping Company the following year. All the Auckland shipping owners combined into one company in 1881, the Northern Steam Ship Company, of which Clark was appointed one of the directors. The depression in the second half of the 1880s affected this company, but Clark managed to the secure the services of a new managing director in 1888 who could turn the situation around.
Clark was one of the financial backers of business entrepreneur Thomas Russell
Thomas Russell (New Zealand)
Thomas Russell was a lawyer, politician, businessman and entrepreneur in 19th-century New Zealand. Russell was one of the first two New Zealand-trained lawyers admitted to the bar. He was the founder of a number of major New Zealand-based companies including the Bank of New Zealand and the New...
, who in 1859 had founded the New Zealand Insurance
NZI
NZI or New Zealand Insurance was formed in 1859 and is one of New Zealand's largest and longest-serving fire and general insurance brands. In January 2003 Insurance Australia Group purchased NZI when acquiring Aviva's general insurance business...
(NZI). The group of businessmen and companies behind Russell became known as the Limited Circle, and they were financing much of the development of Auckland. The funds came from the proceeds of the Thames gold rush. Members of the Limited Circle founded the Bank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest banks and has been operating continuously in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in December 1861...
in 1861 and Clark was on the board of directors. He was president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in 1879–1881.
With Josiah Firth
Josiah Firth
Josiah Clifton Firth was a New Zealand farmer, businessman and politician who had a brief brush with fame as the messenger between Te Kooti and the New Zealand Government during Te Kooti's War.-Biography:...
, Clark established the Te Aroha Battery Company, a gold mining company. It was one of the many speculative deals which did not go well, and the depression in the second half of the 1880s necessitated a sale, which was done in 1887 incurring a great loss. The Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company was another such venture; it built parts of the Rotorua
Rotorua Branch
The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putaruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department...
and Kinleith
Kinleith Branch
The Kinleith Branch railway line is located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The line was constructed by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company, Taupo Totara Timber Company and rebuilt by the Public Works Department primarily to serve the Kinleith Mill in 1952...
branches before its collapse. While Archibald Clark and Sons prospered, several other of Clark's businesses failed, and having lost his high standing in society, he took his family back to England in 1889.
Political career
Clark was a member of the Auckland Provincial CouncilAuckland Province
The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Anniversary Day:...
, representing the Newton electorate on the 6th Council from December 1869 to September 1870.
He was Mayor of Auckland
Mayor of Auckland City
The Mayor of Auckland City was the directly elected head of the Auckland City Council, the municipal government of Auckland City, New Zealand. The office existed from 1871 to 2010, when Auckland City Council was abolished and replaced with the Auckland Council....
from 1880 to 1883. In November 1880, 1881 and 1882, respectively, he was elected unopposed on all occasions. During his reign, the first tramway was built and the site for the Auckland Town Hall
Auckland Town Hall
The Auckland Town Hall is a historic building on Queen Street in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions , as well as for its famed Great Hall and its separate Concert Chamber...
was purchased. Clark's council decided on the site of the library and art gallery, still occupied today by the Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand and has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand...
. On retiring from the mayoralty, he was given a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
in appreciation of his services. In 1886–1887, Clark represented the Grafton ward as a Councillor. Other local body roles included the chairmanship of the Auckland Harbour Board and of the Education Board.
Clark stood for Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
on three occasions. In the 1875–76 general election, he was nominated by Thomas Peacock
Thomas Peacock (politician)
Thomas Peacock was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.He represented the Auckland North electorate from 1881 to 1884, then Newton from 1884 to 1887, then Ponsonby from 1887 to 1890, when he retired.-References:...
, but unsuccessfully contested the Auckland East
Auckland East
Auckland East was a New Zealand electorate, situated in the east of Auckland.-History:The Auckland East electorate was established for the 1860-1861 elections, when the Auckland electorate was split in half. It consisted of most of modern Auckland's central business district...
electorate against William Lee Rees
William Lee Rees
William Lee Rees was an English-born New Zealand cricketer, politician and lawyer.-Early years:...
, polling 266 votes against 300. Clark then contested the Auckland East electorate in the 1879 general election
New Zealand general election, 1879
The New Zealand general election of 1879 was held between 28 August and 15 September to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 7th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 1 and 8 September. A total number of 82,271 voters turned out to vote.The election came about when George...
against William Speight
William Speight
William James Speight was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.He contested the Auckland East electorate in the 1879 general election against James Clark and with 371 to 363 votes obtained a narrow victory. He represented the electorate until the end of the parliamentary...
and was narrowly defeated with 363 to 371 votes. Clark was re-elected mayor in 1881 and declared that he would not stand in the 1881 general election
New Zealand general election, 1881
The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December...
, as he could not do justice to both commitments, but he changed his mind when it was announced that Sir George Grey
George Grey
George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand...
would stand in Auckland East. It is said that Clark did not intend to be elected, he merely stood to oppose and defeat Grey. The results were 349 and 315 votes for Grey and Clark, respectively, and Grey was declared elected with a majority of 34 votes.
Private life
Clark was active in the Presbyterian ChurchPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
and was the national treasurer for ten years from 1862. In 1865, he purchased The Tower, a large house in Remuera, as his residence. The building is these days part of King's School
King's School (Auckland)
King's School is a primary school for boys from Years 1 to 8 . It is situated in Auckland, New Zealand, and it also has strong links to the Anglican church; the Anglican Bishop of Auckland and the Dean of Auckland are permanent members of the school's Board Of Governors...
.
He married Kate Emma McCosh Clark (née Woolnough) on 8 April 1875 in Melbourne. Two days later, on a Saturday, the Auckland premises of Archibald Clark and Sons were closed to give staff the opportunity to celebrate the wedding at. His wife was born at Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, Suffolk, England in 1847. She studied art and lived in London, earning a living by undertaking research for writers. They had five children while they lived in Auckland, and their first son was born on 28 December 1875. After many of Clark's businesses had failed, the family migrated to London. In early 1898, they were making plans to return to New Zealand.
Death
Clark died on 26 January 1898 at St Leonards-on-SeaSt Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
. He was survived by his wife and his five children. His wife returned to New Zealand in 1900 and died at Auckland on 3 November 1926.