Ebenezer Sandford

Ebenezer Sandford (1848 – 17 December 1897) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, representing the City of Christchurch electorate in 1891–1893.^[1]

Biography

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1891–1893	11th	City of Christchurch		Liberal-Labour

Grave of Ebenezer Sandford and family at Linwood Cemetery

Sandford was born in 1848. He arrived in Port Chalmers on the Peter Denny on 26 July 1874 from London with his wife and two young children.^[2] They lived in Mornington near Dunedin, then Arrowtown followed by Invercargill. He came to Christchurch in the mid-1880s.^[3]

In Arrowtown, he worked for the Arrowtown Observer. In Christchurch, he was a compositor for the Lyttelton Times.^[4]

Sandford contested the 1891 by-election for the City of Christchurch electorate against John Tippett Smith^[5] and Eden George. Sandford came first with 1851 votes, representing a majority of 742 votes. Smith and George received 1109 and 637 votes, respectively.^[6] George petitioned against the election, arguing that the nominations for Sandford and Smith were received too late by the returning officer, and he was thus the only person who could have been declared elected.^[7] The elections petitions court found that whilst the returning officer had made an error, the subsequent election was valid and the petition had to be dismissed.^[8]

Sandford died on 17 December 1897 and was buried at Linwood Cemetery. His last residence was in Queen Street (since renamed to Queensbury Street^[9]) in Burwood.^[10] He was survived by his wife (Maria Eliza Sandford, née Sharp, d. 11 March 1936) and seven children.^[11]

References

1. "The Christchurch Election". The Star (7291). 10 October 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
2. Woodward, Corey. "PETER DENNY". Retrieved 5 August 2012.
3. "Obituary". The Press. LIV (9913). 18 December 1897. p. 10. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
4. "Mr. Ebenezer Sandford". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand - Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
5. "City Council". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Canterbury Provincial District). Christchurch: Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
6. "The Christchurch Election". The Star (7291). 10 October 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
7. "The Christchurch Election.". The Star (7303). 24 October 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
8. "The Christchurch Election". The Star (7199). 6 February 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
9. Harper, Margaret. "Christchurch Street Names P to Q" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 73. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
10. "Christchurch City Council Cemeteries Database". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
11. "Obituary". The Star. 18 December 1897. p. 6. Retrieved 16 May 2012.