{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1831–1902)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}} '''Edward George Wright''' (14 June 1831 – 12 August 1902) was an independent conservative [[Member of parliament|Member of Parliament]] in New Zealand.

==Biography== {{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=right}} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1879}} |end = 1881 |term = 7th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Coleridge}} |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1881}} |end = 1884 |term = 8th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Ashburton}} |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox break}} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1890}} |end = 1893 |term = 11th |electorate = Ashburton |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox break}} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1896}} |end = 1899 |term = 13th |electorate = Ashburton |party = Independent politician }} {{End}} Wright was born in [[Woolwich]], [[Kent]], England, in 1831. After an education in private schools, he worked for [[Charles Fox (civil and railway engineer)|Fox, Henderson and Co]]. He was the engineer for the gasworks in [[Rome]] and then worked on the naval dockyards at [[Royal Arsenal]] in [[Woolwich]] and then [[Aldershot]]. He married in September 1854 at London and went to New Zealand with his wife and their first two sons in 1857, with another one born in their chosen country.<ref name="DNZB Wright">{{DNZB|Lawrence|Morag and Peter|2w34|Wright, Edward George|22 April 2012}}</ref>

In Canterbury, he was responsible for many of the engineering works, especially bridges.<ref name="DNZB Wright" />

He represented the [[Coleridge (New Zealand electorate)|Coleridge]] electorate from [[1879 New Zealand general election|1879]] to 1881, then the [[Ashburton (New Zealand electorate)|Ashburton]] electorate from [[1881 New Zealand general election|1881]] to 16 May 1884, when he resigned.<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 |page=247}}</ref> He unsuccessfully contested the {{By-election link|Wakanui|1885}} for {{NZ electorate link|Wakanui}}. In the {{NZ election link|1887}}, he contested the {{NZ electorate link|Avon}} electorate, but was defeated by [[Edwin Blake]].<ref name="General Election, 1887">{{cite web |title=The General Election, 1887 |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1887-II.2.1.9.13 |publisher=National Library |access-date=25 February 2012 |page=2 |year=1887}}</ref>

He was successful again in the {{NZ election link|1890}} in the Ashburton electorate. In the {{NZ election link|1893}}, he was defeated in the {{NZ electorate link|Rangitata}} electorate. He was once again successful in the {{NZ election link|1896}} in the Ashburton electorate. He retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1899.<ref name="Wilson" />

Wright was chairman of the [[Lyttelton Harbour Board]] for four periods.<ref name="DNZB Wright" />

Wright died at his homestead Windermere, after which a [[Windermere, New Zealand|locality]] between [[Hinds, New Zealand|Hinds]] and [[Winslow, New Zealand|Winslow]] is named, on 12 August 1902.<ref name="DNZB Wright" /> He was survived by his wife and five children.<ref name="Star obit">{{cite news |title=Edward George Wright |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19020812.2.48 |access-date=27 November 2019 |work=[[The Star (Christchurch)|The Star]] |issue=7478 |date=12 August 1902 |page=3}}</ref> He was buried at Windermere Church.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Late Mr. E. G. Wright |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19020815.2.44 |access-date=28 April 2016 |work=[[The Press]] |volume=LIX| issue=11352 |date=15 August 1902 |page=5}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par | nz}} {{s-bef | before=[[George Hart (politician)|George Hart]]}} {{s-ttl | title=[[Coleridge (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Coleridge]]|years=1879&ndash;1881}} {{s-aft | after=[[David McMillan (politician)|David McMillan]]}} |- {{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | rows=3 | title= [[Ashburton (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Ashburton]]| years=1881–1884 <br/>1890–1893 <br/>1896–1899}} {{s-aft | after = [[William Campbell Walker|William Walker]]}} {{s-bef | before = William Walker}} {{s-aft | after = [[John McLachlan (politician)|John McLachlan]]}} {{s-bef | before = John McLachlan}} {{s-aft | after= John McLachlan}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = [[John Thomas Peacock]] }} {{s-ttl | rows=4 | title = Chairman of the [[Lyttelton Harbour Board]] |years = 1885–1886<br/>1896–1898 <br/>1900–1901<br/>1902}} {{s-aft | after = John Thomas Peacock }} {{s-bef | before = [[John Joyce (New Zealand politician)|John Joyce]] }} {{s-aft | after = Frank Graham }} {{s-bef | before = Isaac Gibbs }} {{s-aft | after = Frederick Waymouth }} {{s-bef | before = Frederick Waymouth }} {{s-aft | after = Albert Kaye }} {{end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Edward George}} [[Category:1831 births]] [[Category:1902 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]] [[Category:People from Woolwich]] [[Category:People from Ashburton, New Zealand]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1887 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1893 New Zealand general election]] [[Category:New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates]] [[Category:English emigrants to New Zealand]] [[Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians]] [[Category:19th-century New Zealand engineers]] [[Category:Local politicians in New Zealand]] [[Category:Lyttelton Harbour Board members]]