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James Mackay (1804 – 29 May 1875) was a
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
politician. He was a member of the
1st New Zealand Parliament The 1st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 May 1854, following New Zealand's first general election (held the previous year). It was dissolved on 15 September 1855 in preparation for that year's ...
. He is remembered for the incident with Henry Sewell in Parliament in 1854.


Early life

James Mackay was born in 1804 in
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, Scotland, the second son of Alexander Mackie and Elspet (née Davidson). Though his father was the owner of a large shipping company in Aberdeen, James reinvented himself as being born and bred a highlander, which is a likely reason for him assuming the name Mackay. As a young man he moved to
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
where he was employed as a banker, probably by Lloyds, as he remained their agent in Nelson until 1859. He had studied political economy and free trade principals under
John Ramsay McCulloch John Ramsay McCulloch (1 March 1789 – 11 November 1864) was a Scottish economist, author and editor, widely regarded as the leader of the Ricardian school of economists after the death of David Ricardo in 1823. He was appointed the first pr ...
, which he claimed meant that he supported all measures which had a progressive tendency. Politically, he participated in committees and actively supported liberal causes such as the passing of the
Reform Bill In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is most commonly used for legislation passed in the 19th century and early 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...
, which gave greater suffrage to common people.


Family and emigration to New Zealand

In about 1831, when they were both 27, Mackay married Ann Charles. From 1829 to 1848 they had eight children, the first six being born in London and the youngest two in New Zealand. They also raised two sons of his late younger brother, who were born in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. At the end of 1844 the family embarked from London on the ''Slains Castle'' for Nelson, New Zealand. Before leaving, Mackay commissioned a painting which portrays the family as highlanders departing Scotland in tartans and travel attire, stocked with sheep, calves, poultry, ploughs and other accoutrements required for starting a new life in a distant land. Arriving in
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
in January 1845, Mackay established a farm in
Wakapuaka Wakapuaka is a small township lying to the north of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies on inland from the northern end of Nelson Haven, between Marybank and Hira. The road to Glenduan Glenduan is a small township lying to the north of Nelson, Ne ...
, which he named Drumduan. He also had a town house, a sheep-run in the Wairau after 1847, and in 1852 he established a cattle and sheep-run in
Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to: * Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island * Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta * Golden Bay High School Golden Bay High School is a secondary school A s ...
in conjunction with his eldest son James Mackay junior. Mackay soon became actively involved with local affairs, joining institutions and voicing his opinion at public meetings. He joined the volunteer forces and had the rank of captain. He was also a magistrate.


Political career

When representative government was established in New Zealand in 1853, he became a member of the House of Representatives for the Town of Nelson. He was also a member of the Provincial Council for the Town of Nelson from 1857 to 1861. In the
1st New Zealand Parliament The 1st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 May 1854, following New Zealand's first general election (held the previous year). It was dissolved on 15 September 1855 in preparation for that year's ...
, the Town of Nelson was a two-member electorate. On nomination day on 25 July 1853, William Travers and Mackay were the only candidates put forward. They were thus declared elected unopposed. Mackay served until the end of the first term in 1855, but did not serve in any subsequent Parliaments. Mackay is noted for his support of the
Acting Governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or an ...
,
Robert Wynyard Robert Henry Wynyard (24 December 1802 – 6 January 1864) was a New Zealand colonial administrator, serving at various times as Lieutenant Governor of New Ulster Province, Administrator of the Government, and was the first Superintendent o ...
, who argued that it was not possible for Parliament to assume responsibility for governing New Zealand without royal assent. When Parliament disagreed, Wynyard officially
prorogued A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections ...
it. Parliament responded by suspending its own standing orders. These orders required that messages from the Governor take precedence over other Parliamentary business. With the standing orders overturned, Wynyard's message could remain officially "unopened" while Parliament continued to function. Mackay, part of the minority who supported Wynyard, attempted to bypass this tactic by presenting a copy of
The New Zealand Gazette The ''New Zealand Gazette'' ( mi, Te Kāhiti o Aotearoa), commonly referred to as ''Gazette'', is the official newspaper of record (Government gazette) of the New Zealand Government. Published since 1840, it is the longest-running publication ...
which contained the prorogation order, shouting "you are no House, you are prorogued!". He then attempted to disrupt the business of Parliament until
Henry Sewell Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office ...
(later to become New Zealand's first Premier) and another MP attempted to manhandle him out of the debating chamber. Mackay managed to escape, and (in the words of a contemporary) "beat an honourable retreat over the rail into the stranger's gallery, waving defiance to his assailants with his trusty umbrella." Mackay was later found guilty of "gross and premeditated contempt of the House".


Later life and death

Mackay was a close friend of the Native Secretary Donald McLean. Through his contact he assisted his eldest son, James Mackay junior, to enter Government service. James junior became an Assistant Native Secretary in 1857, and from 1859 to 1860 purchased Kaikoura and the West Coast from Maori on behalf of the General Government. In 1863 he became commissioner for the
Hauraki District Hauraki District is a territorial authority within the Hauraki region of New Zealand. The seat of the council is at Paeroa. The area covered by the district extends from the southwest coast of the Firth of Thames southeast towards Te Aroha, alt ...
, in 1867 he opened the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
district for gold mining, and in 1875 he extended the goldfield by negotiating with Maori for access to the Ohinemuri district. He also acted as a general trouble shooter for the Government during times of conflict with the Maori of the North Island. The eldest of the two nephews raised by Mackay, Alexander, also entered Government service. He was appointed commissioner of Native Reserves (firstly for the South Island then for the entire country), commissioner of the South Island Native District, and returning officer for the
Southern Maori Southern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Eastern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, an ...
electoral seat for the House of Representatives. Most notably, from 1884 until he retired in 1902 he was a judge for the
Native Land Court Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and enterta ...
. Mackay's wife Anne died in 1860 at the age of 56. In 1862 he married Ann Adney Shuckburgh, who was 20 years his junior. They had two daughters, born in 1863 and 1864. He spent his later years farming, and though still taking an active interest in local politics, he was reluctant to re-enter public office. In early 1874 he fell from a loaded cart while working on his farm. The injury to his back, though it seemed minor at the time, grew into a tumour which eventually left him paralyzed. He died in May 1875 at the age of 71. Mackay and his first wife are buried at St Andrew's Church in Wakapuaka. The church no longer exists, and the churchyard was designated an historic site by Waimea County Council in 1975.


Notes


References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, James Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1804 births 1875 deaths Members of the Nelson Provincial Council Scottish emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates 19th-century New Zealand politicians