Alfred Saunders

For the Irish flying ace, see Alfred William Saunders.

Alfred Saunders (12 June 1820 – 28 October 1905) was a New Zealand farmer, reformer, women's suffrage and temperance advocate and politician.^[2][3][4] He was Superintendent of Nelson Province and represented several electorate in the House of Representatives.

Alfred Saunders
Saunders, c. 1901
3rd Superintendent of Nelson Province
In office March 1865 – 4 February 1867
Preceded by	John Perry Robinson
Succeeded by	Oswald Curtis
Personal details
Born	(1820-06-12)12 June 1820 Market Lavington, England
Died	28 October 1905(1905-10-28) (aged 85)
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Rhoda Flower ​ ​ (m. 1847; died 1898)​ [1]
Children	10, including Sarah, Samuel
Relatives	Samuel Saunders (brother) Mary Bayly (sister) William Saunders (brother) Robert Page (grandson) Kae Miller (great-granddaughter) Sarah McMurray (niece)

Early life and family

Saunders was born in 1820 in Market Lavington, the youngest son of Mary and Amram Saunders. He was educated in Market Lavington and at a Bristol academy.^[1] The temperance campaigner Mary Bayly was his sister,^[5] Samuel Saunders (1814–1908) was an older brother^[6] and William Saunders (1823–1895) was a younger brother.^[7]

He married Rhoda Flower in 1847.^[1] They had ten children, including Sarah Page and Samuel Saunders.^[8][9] Rhoda died in 1898.^[10]

He was remarried in England in 1899 to Sarah Box.^[11][1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1861–1864	3rd	Waimea			Independent
1878–1879	6th	Cheviot			Independent
1879–1881	7th	Cheviot			Independent
1889–1890	10th	Lincoln			Independent
1890–1893	11th	Selwyn			Independent
1893–1896	12th	Selwyn			Independent

He was elected onto the Nelson Provincial Council representing Waimea South in 1855 and remained a councillor until his election of Superintendent for the Nelson Province from 1865 to 1867. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Waimea in 1861, and he resigned from this seat in 1864. He then represented Cheviot from 1878 to 1881 when he was defeated. He unsuccessfully contested the 1882 by-election in the Wakanui electorate. He contested the 1888 by-election in the Ashley electorate and was defeated by John Verrall by just two votes.^[12]

Saunders' gravestone at Linwood Cemetery

From 1889 to 1890 he represented the Lincoln electorate and from 1890 to 1896 he represented Selwyn, being defeated at the general election of 1896 for the latter constituency.^[13] He supported the Temperance Union petition in favour of woman's suffrage to Parliament in 1891. He was involved, as an MP, in the political machinations to get legislation passed to give voting rights to New Zealand women, including during the final stages of the legislation in 1893. He also corresponded with the leader of the suffrage movement, Kate Sheppard, to keep her up-to-date with the fast-changing political situation in parliament as the legislation was being debated.^[4]

Authorship

Alfred Saunders was an author and his published titles include;

• "History of New Zealand" a comprehensive two volume publication (550 pages.) 1896–99. Contains much on early NZ Governments. Available on line.
• "The Perfect Draft Horse" 1886
• "Tales of a Pioneer" published by his daughters, 1927. Also available on line
• "Our Domestic Birds" 1883
• "Our Horses" 1885.