James Thorn (1 June 1882 – 21 November 1956) was a New Zealand politician and trade unionist. He was an organiser and candidate for the Independent Political Labour League,

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...

then the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life

Thorn was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, educated at

Christchurch Boys' High School , motto_translation = I Seek Higher Things , type = State school, Day and Boarding school , gender = Boys , song = The School We Magnify , colours = Blue and Black , established = , address = 71 Straven Ro ...

. He worked in the

Addington Railway Workshops The Addington Railway Workshops was a major railway workshops established in the Christchurch suburb of Addington in 1877 by the Public Works Department, and transferred in 1880 to the newly-formed New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). The wor ...

and as a journalist. Thorn was a bugler in the third

New Zealand Contingent New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

to the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

in 1900 and 1901; the experience turned him into a

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

. He was engaged in trade union and party activity, including 1909 to 1913 in England and Scotland. He unsuccessfully stood for the Independent Political Labour League in the Christchurch South electorate in the and . In 1907 and 1908, he was President of the Independent Political Labour League. In 1909, he went to England and then Scotland and worked for labour parties there.

Political career

In 1914, he moved to Palmerston North and unsuccessfully stood in the in the electorate representing the new

against the incumbent

David Buick David Dunbar Buick (September 17, 1854 – March 5, 1929) was a Scottish-born American Detroit-based inventor, best known for founding the Buick Motor Company. He headed this company and its predecessor from 1899–1906, thereby helping to ...

and two others, with Buick getting elected. He met his future wife while living in

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

; Margaret Anderson (1897–1969), 15 years his junior, who had joined the Social Democratic Party with her father. The Thorns married on 8 December 1917 in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. He was imprisoned for opposing conscription in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was president of the Labour Party (1929–1931), and vice-president at various times (1925–1927; 1928–1929; 1936–1938), and national secretary (1932–1936). He unsuccessfully stood in the electorate in the . He represented the electorate of

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 ...

from 1935 to 1946, when the seat was abolished. From 1943 to 1946 Thorn was

Under-Secretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

to the Prime Minister. In the , he contested the Otaki electorate again, but was beaten by

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Jimmy Maher James Patrick Maher (born 27 February 1974) is an Australian former cricketer, who played One Day Internationals. He is "an attractive left-handed batsman with a clumping cover-drive". Maher competed in the Gladiator Team Sports Challenge i ...

Later life and death

From 1947 to 1950 he was High Commissioner to Canada, and was President of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1949. In 1952 he wrote a biography of

Peter Fraser Peter Fraser (; 28 August 1884 – 12 December 1950) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 24th prime minister of New Zealand from 27 March 1940 until 13 December 1949. Considered a major figure in the history of the New Zealand La ...

and later published a history of the First Labour Government. In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. Thorn died in 1956 and his ashes were buried at

Karori Cemetery Karori Cemetery is New Zealand's second largest cemetery, located in the Wellington suburb of Karori. History Karori Cemetery opened in 1891 to address overcrowding at Bolton Street Cemetery. In 1909, it received New Zealand's first crema ...

, Wellington.

Notes

References

* *

External links

Biography and photo at Union website
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Thorn, James 1882 births 1956 deaths People from Christchurch New Zealand Labour Party MPs Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War New Zealand Presbyterians New Zealand pacifists UNESCO officials People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School High Commissioners of New Zealand to Canada Unsuccessful candidates in the 1946 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1905 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1908 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1914 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1931 New Zealand general election Independent Political Labour League politicians Social Democratic Party (New Zealand) politicians New Zealand conscientious objectors Burials at Karori Cemetery New Zealand anti–World War I activists New Zealand officials of the United Nations 20th-century New Zealand journalists