Charles H. Mills

The Honourable Charles Houghton Mills
Minister of Trade and Customs
In office 29 October 1900 – 6 August 1906
Prime Minister	Richard Seddon William Hall-Jones
Preceded by	Richard Seddon
Succeeded by	Alexander Hogg
Personal details
Born	1843 Nelson, New Zealand
Died	3 April 1923 New Zealand
Nationality	Blenheim, New Zealand
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Margaret Morrison

Charles Houghton Mills (1843 – 3 April 1923) was a member of parliament for Waimea and Wairau, in the South Island of New Zealand.

Early life

He was born in Nelson.^[1] His father was Richard Mills, who arrived in Nelson in 1841 on the Lord Auckland.^[2] The family moved to Wellington in the early 1850s, where his father was Governor of the gaol, and where Charles Mills was educated.^[2][3] He was a pupil teacher at Te Aro school.^[3] He went to sea for some years, and then worked in mining and farming.^[2] Later, Mills was a commission agent.^[1]

He settled in Havelock in 1871 and married Margaret, a daughter of John Morrison, in the same year.^[2][4]

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1890–1893	11th	Waimea-Picton		Liberal
1893–1896	12th	Waimea-Sounds		Liberal
1896–1899	13th	Wairau		Liberal
1899–1902	14th	Wairau		Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Wairau		Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Wairau		Liberal

The 1887 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Arthur Seymour, Joseph Harkness and Mills, who received 446, 444 and 415 votes, respectively. Seymour was thus elected.^[5]

The 1890 general election in the Waimea-Picton electorate was contested by Mills, Richmond Hursthouse and William Henry Phillips, who received 936, 728 and 80 votes, respectively.^[6] Mills was thus elected and represented the electorate until the end of the term in 1893. He then represented the successor electorates of Waimea-Sounds (1893–1896) and Wairau (1896–1908) in the New Zealand House of Representatives.^[7] The 1896 general election was contested by the incumbent Lindsay Buick and Mills, who received 2014 and 2072 votes, respectively. Mills thus succeeded Buick in Wairau.^[8]

Mills served as the Liberal Party's Senior Whip from 1894 until his elevation to cabinet in 1900.^[9] He was Minister of Trade and Customs between 1900 and 1906 and Minister of Immigration in 1906.^[7]

He was a member of the Provincial Council and Marlborough County Council, and of the Legislative Council between 1909 and 1916.^[10]

Death

Mills died on 3 April 1923 and was buried at Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.^[3][11] He was survived by his wife.^[3]

Notes

1. Hamer 1988, p. 365.
2. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "The Hon. Charles Houghton Mills". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
3. "Hon C H Mills". Hawera & Normanby Star. XLII. 5 April 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
4. William Jackson Barry (1897). "Mr. C. H. Mills". Past and Present, and Men of the Times. Christchurch: McKee and Gamble. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
5. "Waimea-Picton election". Colonist. XXX (5024). 6 October 1887. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
6. "Waimea-Picton". Colonist. XXXIV (5980). 8 December 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
7. Wilson 1985, p. 220.
8. "The Elections". Hawera & Normanby Star. XXXIII (3416). 7 December 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
9. Wilson 1985, pp. 279–80.
10. Wilson 1985, p. 159.
11. "Cemetery records search". Marlborough District Council. Retrieved 26 October 2015.

References

• Dictionary of New Zealand Biography edited by Guy H. Scholefield vol. 2 pp. 84,85 (2 volumes 1940, Department of Internal Affairs)
• The New Zealand Liberals: the Years of Power 1891–1912 by David Hamer (1988, Auckland University Press, Auckland)
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.