{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1820–1905)}} {{for|the Irish flying ace|Alfred William Saunders}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alfred Saunders | image = Mr. Alfred Saunders.jpg | alt = | caption = Saunders, {{circa|1901}} | order = 3rd [[Nelson Province|Superintendent of Nelson Province]] | term_start = March 1865 | term_end = 4 February 1867 | predecessor = [[John Perry Robinson]] | successor = [[Oswald Curtis]] | birth_date = {{Birth date|1820|06|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Market Lavington]], England | death_date = {{death date and age|1905|10|28|1820|06|12|df=y}} | death_place = | party = [[Independent politician|Independent]] | spouse = {{marriage|Rhoda Flower|1 January 1847|26 May 1898|end=d.}}<ref name="DNZB">{{DNZB|McGibbon |Ian |1s1|Saunders, Alfred|1 February 2021}}</ref> | children = 10, including [[Sarah Page (prohibitionist)|Sarah]], [[Samuel Saunders (journalist)|Samuel]] | relatives = [[Samuel Saunders (vegetarian)|Samuel Saunders]] (brother)<br>[[Mary Bayly]] (sister)<br>[[William Saunders (Liberal politician)|William Saunders]] (brother)<br>[[Robert Page (chemist)|Robert Page]] (grandson)<br>[[Kae Miller]] (great-granddaughter)<br>[[Sarah McMurray]] (niece) }}
'''Alfred Saunders''' (12 June 1820 – 28 October 1905) was a New Zealand farmer, reformer, women's suffrage and temperance advocate and politician.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saunders, Alfred, 1820-1905 |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22352891 |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=natlib.govt.nz}}</ref><ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Grimshaw |first=Patricia |title=Women's Suffrage in New Zealand |publisher=Auckland University Press |year=1972 |isbn=9781869400217 |location=Auckland}}</ref> He was Superintendent of Nelson Province and represented several electorate in the [[New Zealand House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].
==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.<ref name="DNZB" /> The temperance campaigner [[Mary Bayly]] was his sister,<ref>{{Citation |last=Cale |first=Michelle |title=Bayly [née Saunders], Mary (1816–1899), temperance activist and writer |date=23 September 2004 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-50730 |work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |access-date=19 May 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/50730 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[Samuel Saunders (vegetarian)|Samuel Saunders]] (1814–1908) was an older brother<ref name="Gregory 2002">{{Cite book |last=Gregory |first=James Richard Thomas Elliott |url=https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/467032/2/886115_v.2.pdf |title=The Vegetarian Movement in Britain c.1840–1901: A Study of Its Development, Personnel and Wider Connections |publisher=[[University of Southampton]] |year=2002 |volume=2 |page=101 |language=en |chapter=Biographical Index of British Vegetarians and Food reformers of the Victorian Era}}</ref> and [[William Saunders (Liberal politician)|William Saunders]] (1823–1895) was a younger brother.<ref>{{cite web |title=William Saunders – political firebrand |date=19 April 2013 |url=https://marketlavingtonmuseum.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/william-saunders-political-firebrand/ |publisher=Market Lavington Museum |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref>
He married Rhoda Flower in 1847.<ref name="DNZB" /> They had ten children, including [[Sarah Page (prohibitionist)|Sarah Page]] and [[Samuel Saunders (journalist)|Samuel Saunders]].<ref name="DNZB Page">{{DNZB|Bohan|Edmund|3p1|Sarah Page|5 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Saunders, Samuel, 1857-1943 |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22425541 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> Rhoda died in 1898.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deaths |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THD18980527.2.8 |access-date=14 February 2014 |work=[[Timaru Herald]] |date=27 May 1898 |volume=LX |issue=2715 |page=5}}</ref>
He was remarried in England in 1899 to Sarah Box.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS18991122.2.7?end_date=31-12-1899&items_per_page=10&query=Robinson+Law+marriage&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1899&type=ARTICLE |title= News and Notes |publisher= Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand ) |date= 1899 }}</ref><ref name="DNZB" />
==Political career== {{NZ parlbox header|align=left|nolist=true}} {{NZ parlbox|start=[[1860–1861 New Zealand general election|1861]]<!-- election held on 1 February 1861 --> |end=1864|term=3rd|electorate={{NZ electorate link|Waimea}}|party=Independent politician}} {{NZ parlbox break}} {{NZ parlbox|start={{By-election link year|Cheviot|1878}}|end=1879|term=6th|electorate={{NZ electorate link|Cheviot}}|party=Independent politician}} {{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1879}}|end=1881|term=7th|electorate=Cheviot|party=Independent politician}} {{NZ parlbox break}} {{NZ parlbox|start={{By-election link year|Lincoln|1889}}|end=1890|term=10th|electorate={{NZ electorate link|Lincoln}}|party=Independent politician}} {{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1890}}|end=1893|term=11th|electorate={{NZ electorate link|Selwyn}}|party=Independent politician}} {{NZ parlbox|start={{NZ election link year|1893}}|end=1896|term=12th|electorate=Selwyn|party=Independent politician}} {{End}}
He was elected onto the [[Nelson Province|Nelson Provincial Council]] representing Waimea South in 1855 and remained a councillor until his election of [[Superintendent (New Zealand)|Superintendent]] for the Nelson Province from 1865 to 1867. He was elected as Member of Parliament for [[Waimea (New Zealand electorate)|Waimea]] in [[1860–1861 New Zealand general election|1861]], and he resigned from this seat in 1864. He then represented [[Cheviot (New Zealand electorate)|Cheviot]] from 1878 to 1881 when he was defeated. He unsuccessfully contested the {{By-election link|Wakanui|1882}} in the {{NZ electorate link|Wakanui}} electorate. He contested the {{By-election link|Ashley|1888}} in the {{NZ electorate link|Ashley}} electorate and was defeated by [[John Verrall (politician)|John Verrall]] by just two votes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ashley Election |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18880731.2.33 |access-date=14 February 2014 |work=[[The Press]] |date=31 July 1888 |volume=XLV |issue=7132 |page=5}}</ref>
[[File:Linwood Cemetery Saunders1.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Saunders' gravestone at [[Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch|Linwood Cemetery]]]] From 1889 to 1890 he represented the [[Lincoln (New Zealand electorate)|Lincoln electorate]] and from 1890 to 1896 he represented [[Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)|Selwyn]], being defeated at the general election of 1896 for the latter constituency.<ref name="Saunders">{{cite book|title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District|publisher=The Cyclopedia Company Limited|location=Christchurch|year=1903|chapter=Mr. Alfred Saunders|url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d57-d56.html#name-134515-mention|access-date=14 April 2010}}</ref> He supported the Temperance Union petition in favour of [[Women's suffrage in New Zealand|woman's suffrage]] to [[New Zealand Parliament|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.<ref name=":0" />
== 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.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== {{commons category|Alfred Saunders}} {{wikisource|works=or}} * {{cite Australasia|Saunders, Alfred}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[John Perry Robinson]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Nelson Province|Superintendent of Nelson Province]]|years=1865–1867}} {{s-aft|after=[[Oswald Curtis]]}} {{s-par | nz}} {{s-bef | before = [[David Monro (New Zealand politician)|David Monro]]<br>[[Fedor Kelling]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Waimea (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Waimea]] | years = 1861–1864}} {{s-aft | after = [[John George Miles]]}} {{s-bef | before = [[Leonard Harper (politician)|Leonard Harper]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Cheviot (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Cheviot]] | years = 1878–1881}} {{s-aft | after = [[Hugh McIlraith]]}} {{s-bef | before = [[Arthur O'Callaghan]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Lincoln (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Lincoln]] | years = 1889–1890}} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}} {{s-bef | before = [[John Hall (New Zealand politician)|John Hall]]}} {{s-ttl | title= [[Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Selwyn]]| years=1890–1896}} {{s-aft | after=[[Cathcart Wason]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Alfred}} [[Category:1820 births]] [[Category:1905 deaths]] [[Category:Superintendents of New Zealand provincial councils]] [[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]] [[Category:Members of the Nelson Provincial Council]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1881 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1887 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1896 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates]] [[Category:Saunders family|Alfred]] [[Category:People from Shropshire]] [[Category:English emigrants to New Zealand]] [[Category:New Zealand social reformers]] [[Category:New Zealand temperance activists]] [[Category:19th-century New Zealand farmers]]