Frederick Arthur Lye (1881 – 3 October 1949) was a New Zealand politician of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

then of the United Party. The United Party was a continuation of the historical Liberal Party, albeit more conservative.

Early life and family

Born in

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Roc ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England, Lye was the son of Robert Bevan Lye. The family moved to New Zealand in 1886, arriving in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, where Lye was educated. He left home when he was 19 years old and found work milking cows on a dairy farm near

Pukekohe Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is in South Auckland, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. Th ...

. About five years later, he took up farming on his own account at Otakeho on

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

's Waimate Plains. In 1906, Lye married Charlotte Louie Preece from

Kaponga Kaponga is a small town in the southern part of the Taranaki region of New Zealand. It is known as "The Gateway to Dawson's Falls" on Mount Taranaki. Kaponga is located inland from Manaia and Eltham, and is on the main road connecting Eltham to ...

, and the couple went on to have 10 children. They remained farming at Otakeho until 1918, when they moved to Pukekura, just south of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

in the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, 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, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

, while retaining their farming interests in Taranaki. His younger brother, Samuel Charles Gale Lye (1884–1937), was also a dairy farmer and also stood for the Liberals in several elections.

Political career

He represented the

electorate from

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

, when he was defeated by

Stewart Reid Daniel Stewart Reid (30 October 1867 – 6 May 1952) was a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party. Early life Reid was born in Drury in 1867, some distance south of Auckland. His parent had arrived in New Zealand from Argyllshire in Scotla ...

of the Reform Party. He won the seat back 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 ...

, but was defeated by Robert Coulter of the Labour Party in the

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

landslide to Labour. In 1935, he 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 ...

Later life and death

Lye remained living at Pukekura until his death at

Waikato Hospital Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare

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 ...

on 3 October 1949. He was survived by his wife and 10 children, and was buried at Hautapu Cemetery.

References

External links

Design plans of dwelling at Otakeho for F. Lye
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lye, Frederick 1881 births 1949 deaths New Zealand Liberal Party MPs Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs United Party (New Zealand) MPs Unsuccessful candidates in the 1935 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1925 New Zealand general election Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates People from Royal Tunbridge Wells English emigrants to New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand farmers Burials at Hautapu Cemetery