John Hutcheson (1853–1940) was a

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, for the

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Biography

Early life

A native of Dumbarton, Scotland, where he was born in 1855, he was educated at the

Dumbarton Academy Dumbarton Academy is a mixed secondary school in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Location The school is situated near the railway off the B830 in the east of Dumbarton. St James Retail Park is on the opposite side of the North Clyde ...

, where he gained a South Kensington science and art scholarship, which qualified him for a cadetship in naval architecture at Messrs. Denny Bros.' shipbuilding yards. After about a year, Mr. Hutcheson desired a change, and embarked as an apprentice on one of Messrs. J. and A. Allan's ships. He had the usual experience of "a life on the ocean wave," visiting the East and West Indies and America, remaining a considerable time in the United States. While in Portland, Oregon, he took part in the Presidential Election contests of Hayes and Tilden. Mr. Hutcheson went to

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during one of the periodical uprisings, and had to submit to a blockade of some five months at Santiago. Hutcheson arrived in New Zealand in 1880, as second mate of the barque "Isle of Erin." He subsequently spent four years as first and second mate of several other coastal vessels, including the Government steamers ''Stella'' and ''Hinemoa''. Afterwards he was employed for ten years as rigger by Messrs. E. W. Mills and Co., and in 1894 he commenced business on his own account, a company that became HUTCHWILCO.

Political career

He was returned in the Labour and Liberal interest as senior member for Wellington City at the General Election of 1896. He represented the

City of Wellington Wellington City Council is a Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, ...

electorate from

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

to 3 July 1899, when he resigned. He won the subsequent by-election on 25 July 1899. He was again elected at the 1899 general election and retired at the end of the term in 1902.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutcheson, John 1853 births 1940 deaths Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand Liberal Party MPs People educated at Dumbarton Academy New Zealand MPs for Wellington electorates Scottish emigrants to New Zealand Wellington Harbour Board members Wellington City Councillors 19th-century New Zealand politicians People from Dumbarton Politicians from Wellington City