Early life
William Tanner was born in Moulton, Northamptonshire, England, in 1851. In 1877 he married a daughter of Mr. J. Browett of London. They came to New Zealand in 1879 on the ''Waitara''. He worked as a Shoemaking, boot maker in both England and New Zealand.Political career
William Tanner represented the Christchurch seats of Heathcote (New Zealand electorate), Heathcote from 1890 New Zealand general election, 1890 to 1893 New Zealand general election, 1893 and then Avon (New Zealand electorate), Avon from 1893 New Zealand general election, 1893 to 1908 New Zealand general election, 1908, when he was defeated. Among the Political radicalism, radical policies that Tanner approved of were-the nationalisation of land, periodic revaluation of Crown leaseholds, and the establishment of a state bank. He was a member of the Woolston, New Zealand, Woolston Municipal Council (1893–1900), Canterbury, New Zealand, Canterbury Hospital Board (1911–14), and Secretary to the Bootmakers' Union of Christchurch. Tanner was considered to be "''the first Labour candidate''" to be elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1890 when he was successful in the Heathcote electorate. Tanner was described by the ''Lyttelton Times'' in 1902 as: "''Methodical, studious, always ready to refer to statistics, records and a terror for detail''" (''Lyttelton Times'', 18 October 1902, p. 4). The ''Christchurch Press'' said of him: "''Nice voice, speaks slowly with a precision almost painful...Hard-working, intelligent, industrious and no reason to doubt his honesty''".Family
Tanner died in 1938. His son Walter Tanner was the second Chief Censor of Films in New Zealand.References
*''The New Liberal Party 1905'' by G.F. Witcher (1966, MA(Hons) Thesis-University of Canterbury, Christchurch) * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, William 1851 births 1938 deaths New Zealand Liberal Party MPs Independent MPs of New Zealand Local politicians in New Zealand New Zealand trade unionists English emigrants to New Zealand New Liberal Party (New Zealand) MPs New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates Unsuccessful candidates in the 1908 New Zealand general election Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives People from West Northamptonshire District 19th-century New Zealand politicians Members of district health boards in New Zealand