Henry Sawtell

Henry Sawtell
Portrait of Henry Sawtell
5th Mayor of Christchurch
In office 20 December 1871 – 18 December 1872
Preceded by	James Jameson
Succeeded by	Edward Bishop
Personal details
Born	1832 Langport, Somerset, England
Died	19 June 1913 Christchurch, New Zealand

Henry Sawtell (1832 – 19 June 1913) was Mayor of Christchurch 1871–1872.^[1]

Early life

Sawtell was born near Langport in Somerset, England in 1832.^[2] His parents were Mary and Thomas Sawtell. He came to Nelson, New Zealand on the John Masterman in February 1857.^[3] In August 1858, Sawtell came to Lyttelton.^[4][5] In 1861, he lived on town section 200 in Lyttelton.^[6]

On 14 June 1862 at the Trinity Church in Lyttelton, he married Mary Ann, the daughter of Thomas Abrahams of Lyttelton.^[7] Their first son, Leonard Sefton Sawtell, was born on 11 March 1863 when they were living in Lyttelton's Oxford Street.^[8] By 1864, they were living in Christchurch's Hereford Street.^[9] His wife died in 1879,^[10] and on 20 January 1880 at St John's Church, Christchurch, he married Maria Parnham.^[11]

Professional life

Initially, Sawtell was a grocer in Christchurch, working for Dalgety.^[12] For some time he was in partnership with Alexander Cracroft Wilson, son of John Cracroft Wilson, and the firm carried on business as general merchants in High Street under the name of Wilson, Sawtell and Co.^[13][14]

Political career

Grave stone for Sawtell, his first wife, and two of their children

Christchurch City Council

Before 1916, elections for Christchurch City Council were held annually. Sawtell was elected onto the town and later city council three times: in 1868, 1871 and 1872.^[15] In those days, the councillors elected one of their group as mayor, i.e. the position was not elected at large (by the voting public) as is the case today. On 20 December 1871, Sawtell was elected to be the next mayor of Christchurch, succeeding James Jameson.^[16]

Towards the end of his term as mayor, Sawtell fell ill and could not fulfil his functions. Councillor Edward Bishop filled his place during that time.^[17] The election of the next mayor was held on 18 December 1872, but The Press, the local Christchurch newspaper, already reported on 14 December of Councillor Bishop as mayor-elect.^[18] The election took place on the agreed date, and Bishop was elected unanimously.^[19] Sawtell resigned as a city councillor during February 1873 due to ill health.^[20]

Whilst Christchurch City Libraries lists the 7th mayor, Michael Hart, as the one who gave the first link to the Christchurch mayoral chain,^[21] this tradition was in fact started by Sawtell, who gave the first link on the day his successor was chosen.^[22] Edward Bishop gave the second link in April 1874, some months after he was succeeded by Hart,^[23] who was thus the third person to add a link to the mayoral chain.^[21]

Canterbury Provincial Council

Sawtell was a member of the 6th Canterbury Provincial Council for the City of Christchurch electorate from 6 May 1870 until the end of the term on 28 February 1874,^[24] when he did not stand for re-election.^[25][26]

Death

He was buried at Barbadoes Street Cemetery.^[21]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Sawtell.

Mayors of Christchurch
Chairman	John Hall John Ollivier Isaac Luck Edward Bishop William Wilson
Mayors	elected by councillors William Wilson John Anderson Andrew Duncan James Jameson Henry Sawtell Edward Bishop Michael Hart Fred Hobbs elected at large Fred Hobbs James Gapes Henry Thomson Charles Thomas Ick James Gapes (2nd) George Ruddenklau Charles Hulbert Aaron Ayers Charles Louisson Samuel Manning Charles Gray William Prudhoe Eden George Thomas Gapes Walter Cooper Harry Joseph Beswick Walter Cooper (2nd) Charles Louisson (2nd) William Reece Arthur Rhodes Henry Wigram Charles Mathew Gray (2nd) John Hall George Payling Charles Allison Thomas Taylor John Joseph Dougall1 Henry Holland Henry Thacker James Arthur Flesher Rev John Archer Dan Sullivan John Beanland Robert Macfarlane Ernest Andrews Robert Macfarlane (2nd) George Manning Ron Guthrey Neville Pickering Hamish Hay Vicki Buck Garry Moore Bob Parker Lianne Dalziel
Mayoral elections	annual term 1875† 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882† 1883 1884† 1885† 1886 1887† 1888† 1889† 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897† 1898† 1899† 1901† 1902† 1903† 1904† 1905 1906† 1907† 1908 1909 1910† 1911 1912 1913 1914 biennial term 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933 triennial term 1935 1936‡ 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1958‡ 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election · 1 appointed following death of incumbent