Melville Lyons
Encyclopedia
Melville Edwin Lyons sometimes called Tiny, was briefly a Reform Party
Member of Parliament in New Zealand until his election was declared void. A journalist by trade, he became involved in local politics in Christchurch
after having served in WWI. He was Deputy-Mayor of Christchurch for six years under mayor Ernest Andrews
.
. His parents were Thomas Adian Lyons, an overseer at a sheep station and later a shepherd, and Mary Lyons (née McIver). His parents had married on 6 March 1880 in Timaru
and siblings of Melville Lyons were Joseph James (born 18 May 1881 in Burkes Pass), Esther (born 1883 in Opiki near Timaru), Ethel Mary and Seafield. The family moved to the Masterton area in about 1884. After the last child was born, his father returned to Australia and nothing was heard of him again.
Melville Lyons attended the District High School in Feilding. Before WWI, Lyons was an agricultural editor. He worked for the Dannevirke
Advocate and then for the Christchurch Sun. He left for Egypt via Sydney from Wellington
on 13 July 1916 as a trooper to enter the war, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
in the 15th Reinforcements Veterinary Corps. At 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), he was a tall man and "well-fleshed" (at age 26, he weighed 217 pounds (98.4 kg)) and had been given the ironic nickname 'Tiny'.
electorate from the 1925 general election
. The original count resulted in a tie of 4,900 votes to Lyons and James McCombs
each. The returning officer gave his casting vote to Lyons and declared him elected. A recount was demanded, and on 3 December 1925, an amended result of 4890 votes for Lyons and 4884 votes for McCombs was determined, with the differences in the counts explained by counting informal votes in a different way. Lyons' election was declared void on 13 March 1926, and the previous holder, McCombs, was restored as the holder of the electorate.
Lyons next stood for Parliament in the 1935 Lyttelton by-election
, caused by the death of Elizabeth McCombs
who had succeeded her husband James. The by-election was contested by four candidates, and Lyons, representing the United/Reform Coalition
, came a distant second against Terence McCombs
, the son of Elizabeth McCombs.
The death of Ted Howard on 26 April 1939 caused the 3 June 1939 Christchurch South by-election
. Since Howard's first election in the 1919 general election, Christchurch South was held by the Labour Party. At the last general election in 1938
, Howard had polled 9,885 votes versus 3,890 votes for Gladstone Ward, the son of former Prime Minister Joseph Ward
. The electorate was thus regarded as a safe seat for Labour.
On nomination day, two candidates were put forward: Robert Macfarlane
for the Labour Party
and Lyons for the National Party
. Macfarlane had been Mayor of Christchurch
since the previous year. Macfarlane and Lyons received 7,900 and 4,005 votes, respectively, a majority of 3,895 votes (32.72%) for Macfarlane. An editorial by The Evening Post
argued that Lyons never had any hope of winning the election.
Lyons was selected by the National Party to contest the Kaiapoi electorate
in the 1941 general election, but the general election was delayed until 1943 owing to WWII. When the 1943 general election
did happen, W. H. Overton was the National Party candidate in the Kaiapoi electorate, coming second against the incumbent Morgan Williams.
Early in 1943, Lyons was nominated by the National Party for the held on 6 February Christchurch East by-election
caused by the death of Tim Armstrong. The by-election in the Christchurch East
electorate, a Labour Party stronghold, was contested by five candidates, including representatives from the Labour Party
and the Labour breakaway party Democratic Labour Party
. The election was won by the Labour candidate, Mabel Howard
(the daughter of Ted Howard), and started her long parliamentary career. Lyons came third in the election, beaten by both Labour candidates.
in 1927 and served for a total of 20 years until 1947. He was Deputy-Mayor of Christchurch
from 1941 to 1947, serving under mayor Ernest Andrews
.
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...
Member of Parliament in New Zealand until his election was declared void. A journalist by trade, he became involved in local politics in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
after having served in WWI. He was Deputy-Mayor of Christchurch for six years under mayor Ernest Andrews
Ernest Andrews
Sir Ernest Herbert Andrews was Mayor of Christchurch from 1941 until his retirement in 1950. He had served continuously on Christchurch City Council since 1919.- Early years :...
.
Early life
Lyons was born on 27 February 1889 (note that his birth certificated appears under the date 27 March 1889) in MastertonMasterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...
. His parents were Thomas Adian Lyons, an overseer at a sheep station and later a shepherd, and Mary Lyons (née McIver). His parents had married on 6 March 1880 in Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
and siblings of Melville Lyons were Joseph James (born 18 May 1881 in Burkes Pass), Esther (born 1883 in Opiki near Timaru), Ethel Mary and Seafield. The family moved to the Masterton area in about 1884. After the last child was born, his father returned to Australia and nothing was heard of him again.
Melville Lyons attended the District High School in Feilding. Before WWI, Lyons was an agricultural editor. He worked for the Dannevirke
Dannevirke
Dannevirke , is a rural service town in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is the major town of the administrative Tararua District, the easternmost of the districts in which the Regional Council has responsibilities...
Advocate and then for the Christchurch Sun. He left for Egypt via Sydney from Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
on 13 July 1916 as a trooper to enter the war, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
in the 15th Reinforcements Veterinary Corps. At 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), he was a tall man and "well-fleshed" (at age 26, he weighed 217 pounds (98.4 kg)) and had been given the ironic nickname 'Tiny'.
Parliament
He represented the LytteltonLyttelton (New Zealand electorate)
Lyttelton is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1853–90, and again from 1893–1996, when it was replaced by the Banks Peninsula electorate.-Population Centres:...
electorate from the 1925 general election
New Zealand general election, 1925
The New Zealand general election of 1925 was held 4 November to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 22nd session of the New Zealand Parliament...
. The original count resulted in a tie of 4,900 votes to Lyons and James McCombs
James McCombs
James McCombs was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton.-Early years:McCombs was born in County Leitrim, Ireland and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1876 as a three year old. He was educated at Sydenham School and Christchurch East School...
each. The returning officer gave his casting vote to Lyons and declared him elected. A recount was demanded, and on 3 December 1925, an amended result of 4890 votes for Lyons and 4884 votes for McCombs was determined, with the differences in the counts explained by counting informal votes in a different way. Lyons' election was declared void on 13 March 1926, and the previous holder, McCombs, was restored as the holder of the electorate.
Lyons next stood for Parliament in the 1935 Lyttelton by-election
Lyttelton by-election, 1935
The Lyttelton by-election of 1935 was a by-election held on 24 July 1935 during the 24th New Zealand Parliament in the Lyttelton electorate. The electorate was won by Terence McCombs of the New Zealand Labour Party, succeeding his mother.-Selection process:...
, caused by the death of Elizabeth McCombs
Elizabeth McCombs
Elizabeth McCombs was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to vote in 1893, though were not allowed to stand for the House of Representatives until the election of 1919...
who had succeeded her husband James. The by-election was contested by four candidates, and Lyons, representing the United/Reform Coalition
United/Reform Coalition
The United/Reform Coalition government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1931 to 1935. It was a coalition between two of the three major parties of the time, United and Reform, formed to deal with the Great Depression which began in 1929...
, came a distant second against Terence McCombs
Terence McCombs
Sir Terence Henderson McCombs, OBE ED was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.-Early life:He was educated at Waitaki Boys' High School and Canterbury University College.-Member of Parliament:...
, the son of Elizabeth McCombs.
The death of Ted Howard on 26 April 1939 caused the 3 June 1939 Christchurch South by-election
Christchurch South by-election, 1939
The 1939 Christchurch South by-election held on 3 June was caused by the death of Ted Howard during the term of the 26th New Zealand Parliament. The by-election in the Christchurch South electorate was contested by Robert Macfarlane for Labour and Melville Lyons for National, with Macfarlane...
. Since Howard's first election in the 1919 general election, Christchurch South was held by the Labour Party. At the last general election in 1938
New Zealand general election, 1938
The 1938 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 26th term. It resulted in the governing Labour Party being re-elected, although the newly-founded National Party gained a certain amount of ground.-Background:The Labour Party had won...
, Howard had polled 9,885 votes versus 3,890 votes for Gladstone Ward, the son of former Prime Minister Joseph Ward
Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, GCMG was the 17th Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century.-Early life:...
. The electorate was thus regarded as a safe seat for Labour.
On nomination day, two candidates were put forward: Robert Macfarlane
Robert Macfarlane (New Zealand)
Sir Robert Mafeking Macfarlane, KCMG was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was a Member of Parliament, served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and was a Mayor of Christchurch.-Local body politics:...
for the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
and Lyons for the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
. Macfarlane had been Mayor of Christchurch
Mayor of Christchurch
The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
since the previous year. Macfarlane and Lyons received 7,900 and 4,005 votes, respectively, a majority of 3,895 votes (32.72%) for Macfarlane. An editorial by The Evening Post
The Evening Post (New Zealand)
The Evening Post was a daily newspaper based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded in 1865 by Henry Blundell , an Irish immigrant to New Zealand. It continued under Blundell family control until the 1960s, when it was purchased by Independent Newspapers Ltd.In 2002 it merged with The...
argued that Lyons never had any hope of winning the election.
Lyons was selected by the National Party to contest the Kaiapoi electorate
Kaiapoi (New Zealand electorate)
Kaiapoi was a rural New Zealand electorate, north of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand from 1861 to 1946. It was represented by twelve members of Parliament.-History:The electorate dates from 1861....
in the 1941 general election, but the general election was delayed until 1943 owing to WWII. When the 1943 general election
New Zealand general election, 1943
The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 27th term. With the onset of World War II, elections were initially postponed, but it was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it...
did happen, W. H. Overton was the National Party candidate in the Kaiapoi electorate, coming second against the incumbent Morgan Williams.
Early in 1943, Lyons was nominated by the National Party for the held on 6 February Christchurch East by-election
Christchurch East by-election, 1943
The 1943 Christchurch East by-election held on 6 February was caused by the death of Tim Armstrong during the term of the 26th New Zealand Parliament. The by-election in the Christchurch East electorate was contested by five candidates, including representatives from the Labour Party, the Labour...
caused by the death of Tim Armstrong. The by-election in the Christchurch East
Christchurch East
Christchurch East is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It is currently held by Lianne Dalziel of the Labour Party.-History:The electorate was first created, as Christchurch City East, for the...
electorate, a Labour Party stronghold, was contested by five candidates, including representatives from the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
and the Labour breakaway party Democratic Labour Party
Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand)
The Democratic Labour Party was a left-wing political party in New Zealand in the 1940s. It was a splinter from the larger Labour Party, and was led by the prominent socialist John A. Lee.-Party history:...
. The election was won by the Labour candidate, Mabel Howard
Mabel Howard
|-...
(the daughter of Ted Howard), and started her long parliamentary career. Lyons came third in the election, beaten by both Labour candidates.
Local body
Lyons was first elected Councillor for Christchurch City CouncilChristchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
in 1927 and served for a total of 20 years until 1947. He was Deputy-Mayor of Christchurch
Mayor of Christchurch
The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
from 1941 to 1947, serving under mayor Ernest Andrews
Ernest Andrews
Sir Ernest Herbert Andrews was Mayor of Christchurch from 1941 until his retirement in 1950. He had served continuously on Christchurch City Council since 1919.- Early years :...
.