# James Colvin
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{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1844–1919)}}
{{about||the English recipient of the Victoria Cross|James Morris Colquhoun Colvin|the American football player|Jim Colvin|the author with the pseudonym James Colvin|Michael Moorcock}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable)
|name = James Colvin
|honorific_suffix =
|image = James Colvin.jpg
|caption =
|order = 9th [Mayor of Westport](/source/Mayor_of_Westport%2C_New_Zealand)
|term_start = 1898
|term_end = 1900
|predecessor = Hans Larsen
|successor = James Scanlon
|constituency_MP3 = [Buller](/source/Buller_(New_Zealand_electorate))
|parliament3 = New Zealand
|majority3 =
|term_start3 = [1899](/source/1899_New_Zealand_general_election)
|term_end3 = 1919
|predecessor3 = [Patrick O'Regan](/source/Patrick_O'Regan_(politician))
|successor3 = [Harry Holland](/source/Harry_Holland)
|birth_date = 1844
|birth_place = [County Donegal](/source/County_Donegal), Ireland
|death_date = {{death date and age | 1919|10|29|1844|df=y}}
|death_place = [Wellington](/source/Wellington), New Zealand
|party = [Liberal](/source/New_Zealand_Liberal_Party)
|occupation =
}}
'''James Colvin''' (1844 – 29 October 1919) was a New Zealand [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_parliament) for {{NZ electorate link|Buller}}, in the [South Island](/source/South_Island).
==Early life==
Colvin was born in 1844 in [County Donegal](/source/County_Donegal), Ireland, where he received his education.[{{cite news|title=Mr J. Colvin, M.P., Killed|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19191030.2.43|access-date=7 July 2015|work=[The Press](/source/The_Press) |volume=LV |issue=16667|date=30 October 1919|page=6}}] He emigrated to [Victoria, Australia](/source/Victoria_(Australia)) in 1861 and went [gold mining](/source/Victorian_gold_rush) in [Creswick](/source/Creswick%2C_Victoria) and [Daylesford](/source/Daylesford%2C_Victoria).{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|p=171}} He came to New Zealand in 1862 and joined the [Otago gold rush](/source/Otago_gold_rush) in [Dunstan](/source/Clyde%2C_New_Zealand) and [Wakatipu](/source/Wakatipu_Basin), from where he went to the gold fields in the [Wakamarina Valley](/source/Wakamarina_River) in [Marlborough](/source/Marlborough_Region); he set up a store in the latter place.{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|p=171}}{{sfn|Hamer |1988 |p=363}} When he was a young man, Colvin was held up by a member of the Burgess-Sullivan gang (also known as the [Maungatapu Murderers](/source/Maungatapu_murders)) near where George Dobson had been murdered a few days previously. Unknown to his interrogator James Colvin was carrying 2,000 pounds worth of gold on his saddle, and managed to pass unmolested.{{sfn|Matthews|1999|p=203}}
==Political career==
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1899}}
|end = 1902
|term = 14th
|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Buller}}
|party = Independent Liberal
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1902}}
|end = 1905
|term = 15th
|electorate = Buller
|party = New Zealand Liberal Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1905}}
|end = 1908
|term = 16th
|electorate = Buller
|party = New Zealand Liberal Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1908}}
|end = 1911
|term = 17th
|electorate = Buller
|party = New Zealand Liberal Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1911}}
|end = 1914
|term = 18th
|electorate = Buller
|party = New Zealand Liberal Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1914}}
|end = 1919
|term = 19th
|electorate = Buller
|party = New Zealand Liberal Party
}}
{{End}}
He served on numerous boards and committees: the [Buller County Council](/source/Buller_County%2C_New_Zealand) (1885–89), [Westport](/source/Westport%2C_New_Zealand) Harbour Board (Chairman 1890), and was [mayor of Westport](/source/Mayor_of_Westport%2C_New_Zealand) between 1898 and 1900.{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|p=171}}
Colvin stood in the {{NZ electorate link|Buller}} electorate in the {{NZ election link|1896}} but was defeated by [Patrick O'Regan](/source/Patrick_O'Regan_(politician)).[{{cite news |title=Buller Electoral District |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=IT18961202.2.14.1 |access-date=13 January 2014 |work=Inangahua Times |date=2 December 1896 |volume=XXI |issue=1092 |page=3}}][{{cite news |title=Nelson |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS18961223.2.28.12 |access-date=13 January 2014 |work=[Auckland Star](/source/Auckland_Star) |date=23 December 1896 |volume=XXVII |issue=305 |page=6}}] He defeated O'Regan in [1899](/source/1899_New_Zealand_general_election) as a supporter of [Richard Seddon](/source/Richard_Seddon),{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|p=171}} and represented the Buller electorate in the [House of Representatives](/source/New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives) for twenty years until his death in 1919. At the {{NZ election link|1899}}, Colvin stood as an [Independent Liberal](/source/Independent_Liberal) rather than an official Liberal candidate.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=190}}
From 1906 until 1909 he was the Liberal Party's junior [whip](/source/Whip_(politics)).{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=279}}
Colvin served as the [Chairman of Committees](/source/Chairman_of_Committees_(New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives)) from 1910 to 1911.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=252}} In the house, he had the nickname 'uncle Colvin', given to him by [Thomas Wilford](/source/Thomas_Wilford) in 1899 when they both entered Parliament.