James McPherson (1831/1832 – 23 August 1905) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in the

Waikato region Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

of New Zealand. McPherson was born into a Highland family in . He arrived in New Zealand on the ''

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

'' in May 1861 as Ensign of the 70th Regiment with his wife and two children. Later, he was paymaster in the Commissariat Transport Corps. In July 1864, he received his commission as captain and joined the 4th Waikato Regiment. His country grant was in the present-day suburb of Hillcrest,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, and as well as farming the land he set up a flax-dressing mill. He named his property ' Riverlea' and built a two storied house of Kauri timber in the mid 1870s. He represented the

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

electorate in , from 10 February to 20 December, when he resigned. Six years later he was with the Waikato County Council (appointed clerk and treasurer) and remained there until his death on 22 August 1905. He is buried in the Hamilton East Cemetery.

References

Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1830s births 1905 deaths Scottish emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Burials at Hamilton East Cemetery 19th-century New Zealand politicians {{NewZealand-politician-stub