William Reece | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 23rd Mayor of Christchurch | |
| In office 20 December 1899 – March 1901 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Louisson |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Rhodes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1856-10-23)23 October 1856 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 17 July 1930(1930-07-17) (aged 73) Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand |
William Reece (23 October 1856 – 17 July 1930) was a New Zealand businessman and local-body politician. He served asmayor of Christchurch for the years 1900 and 1901.[1]
Reece's father, Edward Reece, was the son of aShropshire farmer. He arrived inLyttelton in August 1855 on theCaroline Agnes. On 1 January 1856, Edward Reece married Isabella Asher at Lyttelton.[2] William Reece was born on 23 October 1856[3][4] inChristchurch.[5] William would have four younger brothers and one sister.[2]
His father became a well-known iron monger with a shop inColombo Street.[6] From 1862, his father ownedBottle Lake and the Waitikiri swamplands for farming.[7]
William Reece received his schooling at theChristchurch Academy where he was head boy in Latin and French. He was then sent to England to get an education in business management, leaving on theWaitangi in January 1875.[6]
Upon William Reece's return to Christchurch in 1879, his father handed his business over to him. When his father died in 1887, he then shared the responsibility of managing it with his brother Charles Stewart Reece. His brother retired in 1892 and William managed the company by himself from then on.[8]
For a time, the artistCharles Frederick Goldie lived at Reece's Bottle Lake Farm. Goldie donated a painting of his sister Violet to Reece. The painting stayed within the family until 1966 and is now held byTe Papa, the national museum.[9]
Local politics ran in the family for William Reece. In 1862, his father was elected onto the inaugural Christchurch Municipal Council.[10]
Louisson was succeeded by Reece, who was elected unopposed on 20 November 1899[11] and installed as mayor on 20 December 1899.[12]
Mayoral elections were usually held in the second half of December, but in 1900, that would have clashed with the Canterbury Jubilee celebrations (theFirst Four Ships first arrived in December 1850). Mayoral elections were thus postponed until April 1901. Reece declared in December 1900 that he could not serve another term due to other commitments, andArthur Rhodes received a requisition asking him to be nominated as mayoral candidate.[1]
Reece was the inaugural chairman of theChristchurch Tramway Board from 1903 to 1906.[8][13]
On 28 April 1880, Reece married Eva Raine (born 1861) atChrist Church Cathedral inNelson. They were to have five sons and two daughters.[6][14]
Eva Reece died in 1926.[15] After her death, Reece lived with one of their daughters (Mrs Molyneaux). He died at their home inRiccarton on 17 July 1930.[6] He was buried atLinwood Cemetery.[16][17] He was survived by five sons and one daughter.[8]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Christchurch 1900–1901 | Succeeded by |