James Sandilands Douglas (16 April 1872 – 2 August 1957) was a New Zealand plumber and politician. He served as

mayor of Dunedin The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

from 1921 to 1923.

Early life and family

Douglas was born in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

on 16 April 1872. His father, also called James Sandilands Douglas, was the publican of Wain's Hotel in Dunedin, and his mother was Agnes Fortune Douglas (née McFadyen), whose father Hugh McFadyen was the first town clerk of

North East Valley North East Valley (sometimes spelt Northeast Valley, and often abbreviated to NEV) is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Geography North East Valley sits in the valley of the Lindsay Creek, a tributary of the Water of Leith and on t ...

Borough. On 18 April 1900, Douglas married Catherine Mackie at the Leith Street Congregational Church in Dunedin. The couple went on to have seven children. Douglas' brother, Robert Rutherford Douglas, unsuccessfully contested the

Dunedin South Dunedin South is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It first existed from 1881 to 1890, and subsequently from 1905 to 1946. In 1996, the electorate was re-established for the introduction of MMP, before being abolished in 2020. Po ...

electorate for the

Independent Political Labour League The Independent Political Labour League (IPLL) was a small New Zealand political party. It was the second organised political party to win a seat in the New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and was a forerunner of the m ...

at the 1908 general election, finishing second behind the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

candidate,

Thomas Sidey Sir Thomas Kay Sidey (27 May 1863 – 20 May 1933) was a New Zealand politician from the Otago region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time. Early life Sidey was born on 27 May 1863, to John and Johan Murray Sidey, i ...

. At the 1911 general election, he stood as an independent candidate for

Dunedin North Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb ''Inner suburb'' is a term used for a variety of suburban communities that are generally located very close to the centre of a large city (the inner city and central bus ...

, but again placed second, being defeated by

George Thomson George Thomson may refer to: Government and politics * George Thomson (MP for Southwark) (c. 1607–1691), English merchant and Parliamentarian soldier, official and politician * George Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth (1921–2008), Scottish p ...

Plumbing career

After leaving school, Douglas was apprenticed to the plumbing trade in 1888, and in 1895 he became a partner in a plumbing firm with James Wilson when the pair acquired the business from their retiring boss. In 1902, Douglas took over the plumbing business of Messrs Croxford and Sons, and ran it as J. S. Douglas and Company until his retirement from the trade in 1932. Douglas was a founding member of the Otago Master Plumbers' Association serving as secretary from 1895 to 1898, and then as president from 1899, retiring in 1933. He served as president of the Federation of New Zealand Master Plumbers on three occasions, and was a member of the Plumbers' Registration Board from 1914 until 1946, having advocated for the registration of plumbers in New Zealand.

Local politics

Douglas was active in local politics in Dunedin over a long period. He was first elected to the Dunedin Drainage Board in 1912, and served for 19 years, including as chairman on three occasions. In 1914, he was elected as a member of the

Dunedin City Council The Dunedin City Council ( mi, Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Ōtepoti) is the local government authority for Dunedin in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Dunedin. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Dunedin is Jules ...

in 1914, and remained a city councillor until 1930. In 1921, Douglas was elected unopposed as mayor of Dunedin, and did not seek re-election in 1923. At the 1935 local-body elections, Douglas withdrew from the election for the Dunedin City Council before polling day, and in 1938, he finished 25th out of 28 candidates and was not elected to council. Douglas served as a member of the

Otago Harbour Board Otago Harbour is the natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour mouth. It ...

for 12 years, and was, for 14 years, a member of the Ocean Beach Domain Board. He also served on the University of Otago Council, the boards governors of King Edward Technical College and the Otago High Schools, and the Dunedin Licensing Committee. He chaired the provisional committee that launched the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition, which was held in Dunedin in 1925–1926.

Other activities

In 1891, Douglas joined the Dunedin City Guards as a private; he rose through the ranks, being commissioned as a lieutenant in 1899, and was promoted to captain in 1906. Following the establishment of the territorial system, he was appointed major and second-in-command of the Otago Infantry, 4th Regiment. After 30 years of continuous volunteer service, he was posted to the reserve and retired list. A fine shot, Douglas won several prizes in shooting competitions, and in 1898 he won the marksman's badge. Douglas was active as a Freemason; he was connected with Lodge Maori No. 105, New Zealand Constitution, serving a term as worshipful master from 1908. He was also a member of the

Ancient Order of Foresters The Foresters Friendly Society is a British friendly society which was formed in 1834 as the Ancient Order of Foresters. As of 31 December 2016, the society had approximately 75,000 members. Its head office is located in Southampton, England. ...

from 1897. Douglas was a deacon of the United Congregational Church, served as treasurer of the Leith Street and United Congregational Churches for over 40 years, and was appointed a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1916.

Death and legacy

Douglas died in Dunedin on 2 August 1957, and was buried at

Andersons Bay Cemetery Andersons Bay Cemetery is a major cemetery in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a rocky outcrop which forms the inland part of Lawyers Head, a promontory which juts into the Pacific Ocean. The ...

. His wife, Katie, died in 1959. Since 1948, the New Zealand Master Plumbers' Federation has awarded the James Douglas Medallion to the leading newly qualified apprentice in New Zealand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, James 1872 births 1957 deaths Businesspeople from Dunedin New Zealand plumbers Mayors of Dunedin New Zealand justices of the peace Burials at Andersons Bay Cemetery New Zealand Freemasons