Kenneth Stuart Williams (13 September 1870 – 25 November 1935) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was Minister of Public Works from 1926 to 1928 in the Reform Government.

Early life

Williams was born in

Pakaraka Pakaraka is a settlement in Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand, at the junction of New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1 and New Zealand State Highway 10, 10, in the district the Ngāpuhi tribe called Tai-a-mai. Demographics Pakara ...

in the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

in 1870 to parents

John William Williams John William Williams (6 April 1827 – 27 April 1904) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Northland, New Zealand. Williams was born in Paihia on 6 April 1827. He was one of the sons of Marianne Williams and the pioneering New Zea ...

and Sarah Busby. He was a grandson of the missionary

Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to: Politicians *Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign *Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ( ...

and of

James Busby James Busby (7 February 1802 – 15 July 1871) was the British Resident in New Zealand from 1833 to 1840. He was involved in drafting the 1835 Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. As British Resident, ...

. He was educated at Heretaunga School in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

and Christ's College 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 / ...

Political career

In 1903–09, he was chairman of

Waiapu County Waiapu County was one of the counties of New Zealand on the North Island. Development under difficulties NB: This section is derived from text in availablhereat the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. The Waiapu County, which then included th ...

. He won the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...

electorate in a 1920 by-election after the death of the previous MP, William MacDonald; and held it until 1935. He was elected unopposed three times; in 1922, 1925 & 1931; in

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

he was opposed by

Alexander Moncur Alexander Francis Moncur (8 March 1888 – 16 June 1976) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Moncur was born in Melbourne in 1888, and arrived in New Zealand in 1906. He was a miner on the West Coast and Waihi, the ...

for

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

. He was Minister of Public Works (12 June 1926 – 10 December 1928) in the Reform Government under

Gordon Coates Joseph Gordon Coates (3 February 1878 – 27 May 1943) served as the 21st prime minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912. Born in rural Northland, Coates grew up on a cattle run ...

, and briefly

Minister of Lands The Minister of Lands in New Zealand was a cabinet position appointed by the Prime Minister to be in charge of the Department of Lands and Survey. List of ministers The following ministers held the office of Minister of Lands. ;Key Ta ...

, and Commissioner of State Forests (28 November 1928 – 10 December 1928). In 1934, he had decided to retire at the end of the term because of health problems from an accident, but died on 25 November 1935 at a garden party held in his honour, just two days before the 1935 general election. In 1935, Williams was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

Notes

References

* 1870 births 1935 deaths Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election {{NewZealand-politician-stub