OBITUARY

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 19

OBITUARY

SIR EDWARD STAFFORD. _The Union Jack at half-mast on the loth denoted that another important per- • sonage had gone over to the majority. Inquiries revealed the fact that the Government- had received a cable intimating that Sir Edward Stafford, who for many years loomed large in New Zealand politics, and was three times Premier of the colony, had died in England. Deceased was the son of a country gentleman in County Louth, Ireland, and was born on April. 23rd, 1820. He arrived in Nelson in 1843, where he soon entered actively into public affairs, and was twice Superintendent of Nelson Province. He was a member of the first Parliament under Responsible Government, and shared with Air (afterwards Sir William) Fox the leader shin of th© two political parties in the colony. He vas head of the first stable Alinistry, formed on June 2nd, 1856—for the BeilSewell and Fox Alinistries, which preceded his, lasted only about a fortnight each. Mi' Stafford’s Administration continued in office until July, 1861. During this period the first Taranaki war occurred, arising out of the troubles connected with the dealings with the Waitara The Ministry was defeated iti July, 1861, on a no-confidence motion led by Air (afterwards Sir William) Fox. Upon the resignation of the Fox Alinistry in 1862, Air Stafford refused to take office. On October 16th, 1865, he again became Premier, and held office till again displaced by Mr Fox in June, 1869 This was the troublous period of the conflicts with the Alaoris in Taranaki and the Waikato, and on the Stafford Administration fell th© brunt of coping with them, with the assistance of "imperial troops. The withdrawal of the British forces in 1869 was made in the face of the protests of the Premier of the day. Three years of power for Air Fox, and Air Stafford was again called to the helm. This time, however, he only held office fiom September 10th to October 11th, 1872, when Air Vogel carried a motion of no-confidence, and Air Stafford finally retired from office, lie was created K.C.M.G. in 1879, and received the Grand Cross of the Order in 1887. For some twenty years past Sir Edward has lived in England, and in 1886 he represented the colony as its Commissioner for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. Deceased was twice married:—first .to Miss . (Wakefield (only child of Colonel" William Wakefield, one of the pioneers, of the. golony), ,who died in 1857 ’; . and secondly, to Miss Alary Bartley, daughter of the (Hon T. R. Bartley, who was Speaker of the Legislative Oouncil from 1856 to 1858.