Walter Pilliet
Encyclopedia
Walter Hippolyte Pilliet JP
(8 February 1840 – 7 November 1885) was a 19th century Member of Parliament
in Christchurch
, New Zealand
. He worked initially as a surveyor and was then Resident Magistrate
in several places. He was a newspaper editor and was represented in Parliament for one term.
on 8 February 1840 to an English mother and French father. His mother, Anna (née Coyney), was the daughter of Walter Hill Coyney. His mother's sister, Mary, was the mother of Charles Clifford. His father, Chevalier Jean Hippolyte Pilliet (1793–1881), was an army officer who distinguished himself at Waterloo
.
. These connections assisted him in finding his first position, working as a clerk in the Lands Office in Wellington
, upon his arrival, and he was soon transferred to Napier
to work in the Hawke's Bay Provincial Survey Department. It was here that he met Sir Donald McLean, then Superintendent
of Hawke's Bay Province
.
Back in Wellington in 1864, he met his acquaintance Coutts Crawford
, who suggested he accompany him to Havelock
in the Marlborough Sounds
, where gold had recently been discovered. Crawford was Resident Magistrate
there and quickly appointed Pilliet warden of the burgeoning gold fields; by 1865 the 25-year-old Pilliet was himself Resident Magistrate. He was made a Justice of the peace
in 1866.
He met Mary Ann Johnston of Nelson
and married her in that city in 1865. In 1867 he joined the Marine Survey to chart the Marlborough coastline as assistant surveyor under surveyor Lieutenant Woods. The Government steamer St Kilda left Wellington on 15 December 1867 under Captain Fox, but the ship struck rocks at Kaikoura
the following day in calm weather.
Woods and Pilliet were soon back in the area, this time on the ketch Sea Bird from Lyttelton
. On 2 and 3 February 1868, there was heavy rain and a severe gale in the area, causing floods "greater than have ever been known by the oldest settlers". The Sea Bird foundered on 3 February at Amuri Bluff, some 20 km south of Kaikoura. Pilliet received a serious injury to his ankle and the survey gear was lost, but all on board survived. In December of that year he became Resident Magistrate at Kaikoura.
That position was disestablished the following year and he became private secretary to Sir Donald Mclean, based in Auckland
, handling his correspondence and keeping him informed of political news. McLean proved an awkward man to work for, and when the Resident Magistracy of Akaroa
became vacant in 1870, he applied for and was granted the position.
Pilliet had two enjoyable years on the Peninsula
, where he was popular with both the English and French settler families due to his knowledge of languages. During that time, he pursued negotiations over land with local Māori. This was brought to an abrupt end in May 1872 when his wife Mary Ann died. Pilliet married again to a daughter of Ebenezer and Agnes Hay, a very well known Banks Peninsula family, but happiness was once more short-lived. Pilliet's temper again had been his undoing; he was dismissed from the Magistracy, after a conviction for assault was upheld in the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court. On 23 May 1873, he had punched the Christchurch architect Samuel Farr during an altercation on the Lyttelton wharf at Dampier's Bay. Justin Aylmer succeeded him as Resident Magistrate in Akaroa.
He then pursued a newspaper career, editing and purchasing at least one Canterbury title (The Sun). During this time, he had his political career, both on local and national level.
Pilliet was elected for Bays in the Canterbury Provincial Council
. He served on the 7th (and last) Council and represented his electorate from 11 April 1874 until the dissolution on 31 October 1876.
Following the resignation of Robert Heaton Rhodes
from his Akaroa seat in the New Zealand parliament, William Montgomery
and Pilliet contested the 20 April 1874 by-election. The results were 168 and 76 votes, respectively, i.e. a margin of 92 for Montgomery, who thus entered parliament.
In July 1874, a select committee declared Montgomery's election to be "null and void" on a technicality. The select committee accepted that the breach was inadvertent and Montgomery stood for re-election in the 10 August 1874 by-election. Pilliet chose not to stand for election this time, neither did anybody else, and Montgomery was thus returned unopposed.
Montgomery and Pilliet contested the 1875 general election, which was held on 29 December. Once again, Montgomery had the upper hand, with 205 versus 159 votes recorded in his favour. Pilliet's problem was that their political views were quite similar, and the voters were satisfied with Montgomery's performance. Pilliet did not stand for the 1879 general election
in any of the electorates.
In the 1881 general election
, the Stanmore
electorate was contested by Pilliet, William Patten Cowlishaw (a partner of Francis James Garrick
) and William Flesher (father of James Arthur Flesher
). They received 383, 362 and 303 votes, respectively. Pilliet was declared elected with a majority of 21 votes.
Following a petition, the 1881 election was declared invalid. The resulting 12 July 1882 by-election was contested by Pilliet, Edward Richardson
and Cowlishaw. They received 469, 345 and 244 votes, respectively. Pilliet was declared elected with a majority of 124 votes.
The 1884 general election
was contested by five candidates. The incumbent
came a distant fourth place. Daniel Reese
, George Ruddenklau, Dorney, Pilliet and Wansey received 524, 435, 142, 43 and 19 votes, respectively. The majority for Reese was 89 votes. There was some protest about the election, but this came to nothing and the result stood as declared.
In 1872, he married Agnes Hay of Pigeon Bay on Banks Peninsula. There were no further children from the second marriage.
It was after his 1884 parliamentary defeat that he moved again into political reporting for the daily press, and made arrangements to bring his young family to resettle them in Wellington. They had yet to leave Christchurch, however, before news came that he had taken ill and died at his home on 7 November 1885. He is buried at Mount Street Catholic Cemetery in that city.
His second wife, Agnes Hay, left the colony after a few years for the United Kingdom
, leaving her step children with relatives in New Zealand. She re-married to a Scottish
shipping magnate, and never saw the children again.
Of Pilliet's five children, only the youngest, Caroline, was to marry and have children. She married William Pringle in Nelson in 1897.
Pilliet's father had fought for the French army in his youth, and died in Dunkerque in 1881, and his mother also died there in 1893. His sister, Ann Mary, died unmarried in the same town in 1920. The Pilliet name does not live on in New Zealand today but is found in some parts of France.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(8 February 1840 – 7 November 1885) was a 19th century Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
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...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He worked initially as a surveyor and was then Resident Magistrate
Resident Magistrate
A resident magistrate is a title for magistrates used in certain parts of the world, that were, or are, governed by the British. Sometimes abbreviated as RM, it refers to suitably qualified personnel - notably well versed in the law - brought into an area from outside as the local magistrate,...
in several places. He was a newspaper editor and was represented in Parliament for one term.
Early life
He was born in LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
on 8 February 1840 to an English mother and French father. His mother, Anna (née Coyney), was the daughter of Walter Hill Coyney. His mother's sister, Mary, was the mother of Charles Clifford. His father, Chevalier Jean Hippolyte Pilliet (1793–1881), was an army officer who distinguished himself at Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
Professional life
His mother's family was Catholic, and English Catholic relatives had preceded Walter Pilliet in the colony – the Cliffords, the Vavasours, Frederick WeldFrederick Weld
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...
. These connections assisted him in finding his first position, working as a clerk in the Lands Office in 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...
, upon his arrival, and he was soon transferred to Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
to work in the Hawke's Bay Provincial Survey Department. It was here that he met Sir Donald McLean, then Superintendent
Superintendent (politics)
Superintendent was the elected head of each Provincial Council in New Zealand from 1853 to 1876.-Historical context:Provinces existed in New Zealand from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. After the initial provinces pre-1853, new provinces were formed by the New Zealand...
of Hawke's Bay Province
Hawke's Bay Province
The Hawke's Bay Province was a province of New Zealand. The province separated from the Wellington Province following a meeting in Napier in February 1858, and existed until the abolition of provincial government in 1876...
.
Back in Wellington in 1864, he met his acquaintance Coutts Crawford
Coutts Crawford
James Coutts Crawford , known as Coutts Crawford, was a Naval officer, farmer, scientist, explorer and public servant in New Zealand....
, who suggested he accompany him to Havelock
Havelock, New Zealand
Havelock is a coastal village in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It sits at the head of Pelorus Sound, one of the Marlborough Sounds. The population was 486 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 12 from 2001....
in the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
, where gold had recently been discovered. Crawford was Resident Magistrate
Resident Magistrate
A resident magistrate is a title for magistrates used in certain parts of the world, that were, or are, governed by the British. Sometimes abbreviated as RM, it refers to suitably qualified personnel - notably well versed in the law - brought into an area from outside as the local magistrate,...
there and quickly appointed Pilliet warden of the burgeoning gold fields; by 1865 the 25-year-old Pilliet was himself Resident Magistrate. He was made a Justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1866.
He met Mary Ann Johnston of Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
and married her in that city in 1865. In 1867 he joined the Marine Survey to chart the Marlborough coastline as assistant surveyor under surveyor Lieutenant Woods. The Government steamer St Kilda left Wellington on 15 December 1867 under Captain Fox, but the ship struck rocks at Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....
the following day in calm weather.
Woods and Pilliet were soon back in the area, this time on the ketch Sea Bird from Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
. On 2 and 3 February 1868, there was heavy rain and a severe gale in the area, causing floods "greater than have ever been known by the oldest settlers". The Sea Bird foundered on 3 February at Amuri Bluff, some 20 km south of Kaikoura. Pilliet received a serious injury to his ankle and the survey gear was lost, but all on board survived. In December of that year he became Resident Magistrate at Kaikoura.
That position was disestablished the following year and he became private secretary to Sir Donald Mclean, based 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...
, handling his correspondence and keeping him informed of political news. McLean proved an awkward man to work for, and when the Resident Magistracy of Akaroa
Akaroa
Akaroa is a village on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name—the name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for 'Long Harbour'.- Overview :...
became vacant in 1870, he applied for and was granted the position.
Pilliet had two enjoyable years on the Peninsula
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
, where he was popular with both the English and French settler families due to his knowledge of languages. During that time, he pursued negotiations over land with local Māori. This was brought to an abrupt end in May 1872 when his wife Mary Ann died. Pilliet married again to a daughter of Ebenezer and Agnes Hay, a very well known Banks Peninsula family, but happiness was once more short-lived. Pilliet's temper again had been his undoing; he was dismissed from the Magistracy, after a conviction for assault was upheld in the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court. On 23 May 1873, he had punched the Christchurch architect Samuel Farr during an altercation on the Lyttelton wharf at Dampier's Bay. Justin Aylmer succeeded him as Resident Magistrate in Akaroa.
He then pursued a newspaper career, editing and purchasing at least one Canterbury title (The Sun). During this time, he had his political career, both on local and national level.
Political career
Pilliet was elected for Bays in the Canterbury Provincial Council
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
. He served on the 7th (and last) Council and represented his electorate from 11 April 1874 until the dissolution on 31 October 1876.
Following the resignation of Robert Heaton Rhodes
Robert Heaton Rhodes
Robert Heaton Rhodes was a New Zealand politician, who represented the Akaroa electorate from 1871 to 1874, when he resigned. He was elected unopposed in 1871....
from his Akaroa seat in the New Zealand parliament, William Montgomery
William Montgomery (New Zealand)
The Hon. William John Alexander Montgomery was a New Zealand politician from Little River on Banks Peninsula, and a merchant. Born in London, he lived in a number of places and pursued a number of occupations before settling in Christchurch, New Zealand.-Early life:Montgomery was from an old...
and Pilliet contested the 20 April 1874 by-election. The results were 168 and 76 votes, respectively, i.e. a margin of 92 for Montgomery, who thus entered parliament.
In July 1874, a select committee declared Montgomery's election to be "null and void" on a technicality. The select committee accepted that the breach was inadvertent and Montgomery stood for re-election in the 10 August 1874 by-election. Pilliet chose not to stand for election this time, neither did anybody else, and Montgomery was thus returned unopposed.
Montgomery and Pilliet contested the 1875 general election, which was held on 29 December. Once again, Montgomery had the upper hand, with 205 versus 159 votes recorded in his favour. Pilliet's problem was that their political views were quite similar, and the voters were satisfied with Montgomery's performance. Pilliet did not stand for 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...
in any of the electorates.
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...
, the Stanmore
Stanmore (New Zealand electorate)
Stanmore was a parliamentary electorate in Christchurch, New Zealand from 1881 to 1887. The electorate was represented by two Members of Parliament.-Population centres:...
electorate was contested by Pilliet, William Patten Cowlishaw (a partner of Francis James Garrick
Francis James Garrick
Francis James Garrick , was a barrister and politician from Christchurch, New Zealand.-Early years:Garrick was the oldest of ten children of James Francis Garrick and Catherine Eliza Garrick...
) and William Flesher (father of James Arthur Flesher
James Arthur Flesher
James Arthur Flesher OBE was a politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. He held many public offices and was Mayor of Christchurch from 1923 to 1925.-Early life:...
). They received 383, 362 and 303 votes, respectively. Pilliet was declared elected with a majority of 21 votes.
Following a petition, the 1881 election was declared invalid. The resulting 12 July 1882 by-election was contested by Pilliet, Edward Richardson
Edward Richardson
The Hon Edward Richardson, CMG, MLC was a civil and mechanical engineer, and Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Born in England, he emigrated to Australia and continued there as a railway engineer...
and Cowlishaw. They received 469, 345 and 244 votes, respectively. Pilliet was declared elected with a majority of 124 votes.
The 1884 general election
New Zealand general election, 1884
The New Zealand general election of 1884 was held on 22 July to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 9th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 21 July. A total number of 137,686 voters turned out to vote.-References:...
was contested by five candidates. The incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
came a distant fourth place. Daniel Reese
Daniel Reese (politician)
Daniel Reese was a 19th century Member of Parliament from Christchurch, New Zealand. He represented the Stanmore electorate from 1884 when he defeated Walter Pilliet, but was defeated in 1887....
, George Ruddenklau, Dorney, Pilliet and Wansey received 524, 435, 142, 43 and 19 votes, respectively. The majority for Reese was 89 votes. There was some protest about the election, but this came to nothing and the result stood as declared.
Family and death
Pilliet married twice. His first marriage was in 1865 at Nelson to Mary Ann Johnston. They had two sons and three daughters. His wife died on 31 May 1872, aged 26 years. This was after complications following the birth of her fifth child, Caroline, on 22 May 1872.In 1872, he married Agnes Hay of Pigeon Bay on Banks Peninsula. There were no further children from the second marriage.
It was after his 1884 parliamentary defeat that he moved again into political reporting for the daily press, and made arrangements to bring his young family to resettle them in Wellington. They had yet to leave Christchurch, however, before news came that he had taken ill and died at his home on 7 November 1885. He is buried at Mount Street Catholic Cemetery in that city.
His second wife, Agnes Hay, left the colony after a few years for the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, leaving her step children with relatives in New Zealand. She re-married to a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
shipping magnate, and never saw the children again.
Of Pilliet's five children, only the youngest, Caroline, was to marry and have children. She married William Pringle in Nelson in 1897.
Pilliet's father had fought for the French army in his youth, and died in Dunkerque in 1881, and his mother also died there in 1893. His sister, Ann Mary, died unmarried in the same town in 1920. The Pilliet name does not live on in New Zealand today but is found in some parts of France.