Stafford, Edward William (1819-1901), was one of New Zealand’s earliest political leaders after the island country became a British colony in 1840. Stafford served as prime minister of the colonial government three times—from 1856 to 1861, from 1865 to 1869, and for a month in 1872.
Early life and family.
Stafford was born on April 23, 1819, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He attended Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, starting in 1836 and also educated himself through reading. In 1841, he traveled to Victoria, Australia. He eventually moved to the settlement of Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand, arriving there on Jan. 12, 1843. At Nelson, Stafford earned a living by raising sheep.
Stafford married Emily Charlotte Wakefield on Sept. 24, 1846. Emily was the daughter of William Wakefield, the chief agent for the New Zealand Company, an organization that promoted British colonization of the country. The young couple had no children before Emily died in 1857. Stafford remarried on Dec. 5, 1859, to Mary Bartley, the daughter of Thomas Houghton Bartley, speaker of the colonial Legislative Council, which at that time was the appointed upper house of New Zealand’s parliament. Stafford and his second wife had three sons and three daughters.
Stafford became the first superintendent of Nelson in 1853. He sponsored educational and road-building legislation that later influenced programs elsewhere in New Zealand. Stafford was elected to the colonial Parliament in 1855 and resigned as Nelson superintendent the next year.
Prime minister.
Stafford first became prime minister of the colony on June 2, 1856. His government lasted until July 12, 1861, making it the longest-serving government in New Zealand’s history to that time. He was defeated in 1861 by opposition led by his political rival William Fox. Stafford returned for a second term as prime minister on Oct. 16, 1865, serving until Fox-led opposition again defeated him on June 28, 1869. Stafford’s third ministry lasted only from Sept. 10 to Oct. 11, 1872.
In addition to serving as prime minister, Stafford acted in many other ministerial capacities. During the late 1860’s, he led the colonial government through part of the New Zealand Wars, a series of conflicts over land ownership between the colonials and native Māori << MOW ree or MAH ree >> people.
Stafford took bold positions on a number of political and social questions. For example, he supported expanding the vote to New Zealand men other than landowners, and he advocated the use of the secret ballot. Under Stafford’s leadership, New Zealand’s central government gained more power over more local and specialized interests.
Final years.
Stafford eventually became disillusioned with colonial politics and returned to England in 1878. Queen Victoria knighted him in 1879. Stafford lived in London the rest of his life, though he retained his many business interests in New Zealand. He died on Feb. 14, 1901.
