{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1848–1913)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Thomas Gapes | honorific_suffix = | image = Thomas Gapes, NZETC.jpg | image_size = | caption = Thomas Gapes wearing mayoral chains | order = 20th | office = Mayor of Christchurch | term_start = 20 December 1893 | term_end = 19 December 1894 | predecessor = Eden George | successor = Walter Cooper | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | birth_date = 1848 | birth_place = London | death_date = 16 April 1913 | death_place = Christchurch | resting_place = Linwood Cemetery | spouse = | relations = James Gapes (father)<br />William Gapes (uncle) | party = | profession = }} '''Thomas Gapes''' (1848 – 16 April 1913) was Mayor of Christchurch 1893/94. His father James Gapes was twice mayor in the 1870s/80s. The family was of humble origin, had come out to New Zealand from London as assisted immigrants and were running a painting and paper-hanging business, but had come to status in their new country.

==Early life== Gapes was born in London in 1848,<ref name="NZETC">{{cite book|title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Canterbury Provincial District)|publisher=Cyclopedia Company Limited |location=Christchurch |year=1903 |chapter=Ex Mayors |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d9-d20.html#name-420461-mention |accessdate=16 March 2010}}</ref> to James Gapes and his wife Jane (née Le Lean). His father had moved there from Saffron Walden in Essex. The Gapes family emigrated to New Zealand in 1859 when Thomas was eleven years old. The parents came out with their children and other relatives – Hannah (21 years), Charlotte (16 years), Mary (7 years), Angelina (5 years) and Emily (8 months), plus his father's cousin Lizzie Westwood (b. 1826 in Hertfordshire).<ref name="Lizzie">{{cite web |url=http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Publications/UnsungHeroines/LizzieCoker/ |title=Unsung Heroines – Lizzie Coker |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries |accessdate=22 February 2010 |location= Christchurch }}</ref> They left Gravesend on 29 August 1859 and arrived in Lyttelton on 4 December 1859 on board the ''Regina''.<ref name="Regina shipping list">{{cite web |title=Regina |url=http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlists/regina.html |publisher=New Zealand Yesteryears |accessdate=2 June 2010}}</ref>

Gapes received part of his education in London, and part of it in Christchurch.<ref name=NZETC />

==Professional life== Gapes worked in his father's painting and paper-hanging business in 71 Victoria Street, Christchurch. He took over the business in 1889 when his father retired.<ref name=NZETC />

==Political career== Before 1916, elections for Christchurch City Council were held annually. Gapes became a Member of the City Council in 1890 for the North-East Ward, was re-elected 1893, 1894 and was then represented from 1905 to 1913.<ref name="Councillors">{{cite web |url= http://www1.ccc.govt.nz/handbook/councillorsofthecityofchristchurch.asp |title=Councillors of the City of Christchurch |publisher=Christchurch City Council |accessdate=12 May 2010 |location=Christchurch | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110720010657/http://www1.ccc.govt.nz/handbook/councillorsofthecityofchristchurch.asp | archivedate = 20 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="NZETC Councillor">{{cite book |title= The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Canterbury Provincial District) |publisher=Cyclopedia Company Limited |location=Christchurch |year=1903 |chapter=Ex Councillors |url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d10-d77.html#name-420461-mention |accessdate=3 June 2010}}</ref>

On 29 November 1893, Gapes contested the mayoral election against the incumbent, Eden George.<ref>{{cite news |title=Christchurch |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18931122.2.24.1 |accessdate=23 April 2012|work=The Star |date=22 November 1893|issue=4807 |page=3}}</ref> George had been the youngest mayor so far (at the 1893 election, he was 30 years of age<ref name="NSW bio">{{cite NSW Parliament |title=Mr Eden George (1863–1927) |id=1113 |former=Yes |access-date=23 June 2019}}</ref>) and was the only mayor thus far who had not previously served as a councillor, that is he had not had any political experience. George had been ineffective as a mayor, and had been in conflict with the councillors.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brief Mention |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=MEX18931227.2.14 |accessdate=23 April 2012 |work=Marlborough Express|volume=XXIX |issue=311 |date=27 December 1893 |page=2}}</ref> Gapes and George received 820 and 365 votes, respectively, which represented the largest majority in a Christchurch mayoral election at that time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayoral Elections |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18931130.2.9 |accessdate=23 April 2012 |work=The Star |date=30 November 1893|issue=4814|page=2}}</ref> Gapes was installed as the new mayor at a council meeting on 20 December<ref>{{cite news|title=Mayoral Installations. |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18931220.2.40 |accessdate=23 April 2012|work=The Star|date=20 December 1893|issue=4830|page=3}}</ref> and was mayor during 1894.<ref name="CCC">{{cite web |url= http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/howthecouncilworks/ourhistory/chairmenmayors.aspx |title=Chairmen and mayors |publisher=Christchurch City Council |accessdate=10 February 2010 |location=Christchurch}}</ref> During his mayoralty, he was involved with several relief and charitable funds, including for the sinking on 29 October 1894 of the SS ''Wairarapa'', which was one of New Zealand's deadliest disasters.<ref name="Cooper installation">{{cite news |title=Christchurch |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NOT18941221.2.5.2 |accessdate=12 April 2013 |work=North Otago Times |volume=XXXVII |issue=8161 |date=21 December 1894 |page=1}}</ref>

The next mayoral election was held on 28 November 1894.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayoral Elections |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18941121.2.30 |accessdate=12 April 2013 |work=The Press |volume=LI |issue=8956 |date=21 November 1894 |page=5}}</ref> Gapes stood again, and was challenged by two sitting councillors, Walter Cooper and Edward Smith.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayoral Elections |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC18941121.2.15.6 |accessdate=12 April 2013 |work=Colonist |volume=XXXVIII |issue=8102 |date=21 November 1894 |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Canterbury Provincial District) |publisher=Cyclopedia Company Limited |location=Christchurch |year=1903 |chapter=Civic Institutions |url= http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d8-d8.html#name-420446-mention |accessdate=13 April 2013}}</ref> Cooper, Gapes, and Smith received 587, 364, and 246 votes, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayoral Elections |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18941129.2.33 |accessdate=12 April 2013 |work=The Press |volume=LI |issue=8963 |date=29 November 1894 |page=5}}</ref> Cooper was thus declared elected and was installed as mayor on 19 December 1894.<ref name="Cooper installation" />

==Family and death== On 23 February 1876, he married Marion (or Marianne) Elizabeth Prebble (24 September 1852 – 17 March 1919) at St Luke's Church in Christchurch.<ref name="Prebble family">{{cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Christine |title=James was the son of George PREBBLE |url= http://www.reap.org.nz/~chris/prebjs2.html |publisher=reap.co.nz |accessdate=13 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Marriage |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18760225.2.7 |accessdate=13 April 2013 |work=The Press |volume=XXV |issue=3272 |date=25 February 1876 |page=2}}</ref> They had one daughter, Bertha Marion (29 January 1877 – 4 August 1954).<ref name=NZETC /><ref>{{cite web |title=Births |url= https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2fqueryEntry.m%3ftype%3dbirths#SearchResults |publisher=The Department of Internal Affairs |accessdate=2 June 2010 |location=Search for registration number 1877/2267}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Christine |title=George was the first son of James Prebble and 1st wife Anna Maria GURR |url= http://www.reap.org.nz/~chris/preb1geo.html |publisher=reap.co.nz |accessdate=13 April 2013}}</ref>

Gapes had come from a working-class background, but the family gained a high status in Christchurch. When the Canterbury edition of ''The Cyclopedia of New Zealand'' was produced, it was him who wrote the various entries for the Gapes family. As the ''Cyclopedia'' was vanity press, it gave Gapes the chance to downplay the family's humble background, and he focussed on their important associations in Christchurch.<ref name="Linwood Cemetery Tour" />

Gapes died at his Christchurch residence on 16 April 1913, aged 65,<ref>{{cite news |title=Personal Matters |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19130418.2.47 |accessdate=12 April 2013 |work=Evening Post |volume=LXXXV | issue=91 | date=18 April 1913 |page=7}}</ref> and was buried at Linwood Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web| title= Christchurch City Council Cemeteries Database |url= http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=25865 |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries|accessdate=18 August 2011}}</ref> His wife, Marion Elizabeth Gapes, died on 17 March 1919, aged 65.<ref name="Linwood Cemetery Tour">{{cite web |last=Greenaway |first=Richard L. N. |title=Linwood Cemetery Tour |url= http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Cemeteries/Linwood/LinwoodCemetery.pdf |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries |accessdate=2 June 2010 |page=27 |date=June 2007}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * [http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Publications/UnsungHeroines/AliceGapes/ Biography for Alice Gapes], sister-in-law of Thomas Gapes &nbsp; {{s-start}} {{s-civ}} {{s-bef | before= Eden George}} {{s-ttl | title= Mayor of Christchurch| years=1893–1894}} {{s-aft | after= Walter Cooper}} {{end}}

{{Mayors of Christchurch}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gapes, Thomas}} Category:1848 births Category:1913 deaths Category:19th-century mayors of places in New Zealand Category:Mayors of Christchurch Category:Glaziers Category:Christchurch City Councillors Category:Burials at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch Category:New Zealand builders