Kenneth Williams (politician)

Williams, circa 1930.

Kenneth Stuart Williams (13 September 1870 – 25 November 1935) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was Minister of Public Works from 1926 to 1928 in the Reform Government.

Early life

Williams was born in Pakaraka in the Bay of Islands in 1870. His parents were John William Williams and Sarah Busby. He was a grandson of the missionary Henry Williams and of James Busby. He was educated at Heretaunga School in Hastings and Christ's College in Christchurch.^[1]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1920–1922	20th	Bay of Plenty		Reform
1922–1925	21st	Bay of Plenty		Reform
1925–1928	22nd	Bay of Plenty		Reform
1928–1931	23rd	Bay of Plenty		Reform
1931–1935	24th	Bay of Plenty		Reform

In 1903–09, he was chairman of Waiapu County. He won the Bay of Plenty electorate in a 1920 by-election^[2] after the death of the previous MP, William MacDonald;^[3] and held it ^[1] until 1935.^[2] He was elected unopposed three times; in 1922, 1925 & 1931; in 1928 he was opposed by Alexander Moncur for Labour.

He was Minister of Public Works (12 June 1926 – 10 December 1928) in the Reform Government under Gordon Coates, and briefly Minister of Lands, and Commissioner of State Forests (28 November 1928 – 10 December 1928).^[4]

In 1934, he had decided to retire at the end of the term because of health problems from an accident, but died on 25 November 1935 at a garden party held in his honour, just two days before the 1935 general election.^[1]

Notes

1. Robinson, Sheila. "Williams, Kenneth Stuart 1870–1935". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
2. Scholefield 1950, p. 148.
3. Scholefield 1950, p. 122.
4. Scholefield 1950, p. 47.

References

• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.