Major William Edmund Willoughby-Tottenham (died 22 August 1962) was British army major and later a politician in Fiji, where he served as a member of the Legislative Council in two spells between 1922 and 1937.

Biography

Willoughby-Tottenham fought in both the

Second 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 Sout ...

and

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 ...

.Major W.E. Willoughby-Tottenham
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', October 1962, p153 He moved to Fiji after World War I and became a planter in

Savusavu Savusavu () is a town in the Fijian Province of Cakaudrove. The town is located on the south coast of Vanua Levu Island and had a population of 3,372 in the 2007 census. Savusavu is known as "the hidden paradise of Fiji." Geography Savus ...

. In 1920 he married Mabel Attenborough, who was later awarded an MBE for her work on social services. After moving to Fiji, Willoughby-Tottenham successfully contested the Vanua Levu & Taveuni seat on the Legislative Council in a 1922 by-election. Although he was defeated by Arthur Hallam Roberts by two votes in the

general elections A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

the following year, he returned to the Legislative Council after winning the seat in the

1926 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1926. Africa * 1926 Egyptian parliamentary election * 1926 Lagos by-election * 1926 Northern Rhodesian general election * 1926 South West African legislative election Asia * 1926 Hong Kong sanitary ...

. He was subsequently re-elected in

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

and

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

. The Legislative Council was reorganised prior to the 1937 elections, with the number of elected European seats reduced from five to three. Willoughby-Tottenham ran in the Eastern constituency, but was defeated by

Harold Brockett Gibson Harold Brockett Gibson (died 31 May 1975) was a New Zealand-born Fijian solicitor and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives in three spells between 1937 and 1972. He also represented Fiji in t ...

. He later unsuccessfully challenged Gibson in the

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

and

1953 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1953. Africa * 1953 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election * 1953 South African general election * 1953 Southern Rhodesian federation referendum * 1953 South-West African legislative election ...

. Outside politics, Willoughby-Tottenham was president of the Fijian

St John Ambulance St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by volunteers. The associations are overseen by the internat ...

Association and owned the Hot Springs Hotel in Savusavu together with 210 acres of land. He later sold his holdings to

Sathi Narain Sir Sathi Narain KBE (1919 - 19 October 1989) was a Fiji Indian businessman who built a construction and shipping business. Family background His parents had arrived in Fiji as indentured labourers abroad the S.S. Ganges on 21 February 1913 a ...

.Satya Colpani (1996)
Beyond the Black Waters: A Memoir of Sir Sathi Narain
', pp58–59 He died in

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

on 22 August 1962 at the age of 84.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willoughby-Tottenham, William British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of World War I British emigrants to the British Empire Fijian farmers Fijian businesspeople Members of the Legislative Council of Fiji 1962 deaths Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers Colony of Fiji people