{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1828–1889)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Thomas Gillies | honorific_suffix = | image = Thomas Bannatyne Gillies.png | order1 = 4th [[Attorney-General (New Zealand)|Attorney-General of New Zealand]] | prime_minister1 = [[Alfred Domett]] | term_start1 = 6 August 1862 | term_end1 = 23 August 1862 | predecessor1 = [[Henry Sewell]] | successor1 = Henry Sewell | order2 = 4th [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Postmaster-General]] | prime_minister2 = [[Frederick Whitaker]] | term_start2 = 30 October 1863 | term_end2 = 24 November 1864 | predecessor2 = [[Crosbie Ward]] | successor2 = [[John Richardson (New Zealand politician)|John Richardson]] | order3 = 7th [[Superintendent (New Zealand)|Superintendent]] of [[Auckland Province]] | predecessor3 = [[John Williamson (New Zealand politician)|John Williamson]] | successor3 = John Williamson | term_start3 = 2 December 1869 | term_end3 = November 1873 | birth_name = Thomas Bannatyne Gillies | birth_date = {{birth date |1828|01|17|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Rothesay]], [[Isle of Bute]], Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age |1889|07|26|1828|01|17|df=yes}} | death_place = ''Rocklands'', Gillies Ave, [[Epsom, New Zealand|Epsom]], [[Auckland]] | resting_place = St Andrew's Cemetery, Epsom | resting_place_coordinates = | occupation = Lawyer, politician | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}
'''Thomas Bannatyne Gillies''' (17 January 1828 – 26 July 1889) was a 19th-century New Zealand lawyer, judge and politician.
==Early life== He was born at [[Rothesay, Bute|Rothesay]] on the [[Isle of Bute]], [[Scotland]], on 17 January 1828. He was the eldest of nine children of John Gillies, local lawyer and town clerk, and his wife, Isabella Lillie, daughter of a Glasgow businessman and granddaughter of a [[Huguenot]] refugee. Determined to train as a mechanical engineer, he was forced by his father to study law and trained in his father's practice for four years. He then went to [[Manchester]], where he worked for Robert Barbour and Sons, with his next brother [[John Lillie Gillies|John]] taking his place in his father's firm. The two brothers intended to join the [[California Gold Rush]] but their father did not allow them to do so, and John emigrated to Australia instead in about 1850. John Gillies senior was so committed with various duties that his health suffered and after long discussions, it was agreed to emigrate to [[Otago]], New Zealand.<ref name="DNZB Gillies">{{DNZB|Rennie|Hugh |1G9|Gillies, Thomas Bannatyne|29 April 2013}}</ref>
On 1 June 1852, Thomas Gillies married Catherine Douglas at [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. The whole family, including their brother [[Robert Gillies (New Zealand politician)|Robert Gillies]], left for New Zealand on 24 July on the ''Slains Castle''.<ref name="DNZB Gillies" /><ref name="Evening Post obit (Robert)">{{cite news |title=In Memoriam. Robert Gillies |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP18860615.2.41 |access-date=19 February 2011 |work=[[The Evening Post (New Zealand)|The Evening Post]] |date=15 June 1886 |volume=32 |issue=24 |page=3}}</ref><ref name="Bruce Herald obit (Robert)">{{cite news |title=The Late Robert Gillies |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=BH18860618.2.12 |access-date=19 February 2011 |work=Bruce Herald |date=18 June 1886 |volume=17 |issue=1759 |page=3}}</ref> They were soon joined in Otago by John Gillies Jr., who came over from Australia.<ref name="DNZB Gillies" />
==Career== ===Professional=== Gillies joined the practise of his father John Gillies and [[John Hyde Harris]] in July 1857.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dissolution of Partnership; Co-Partnership |url= http://slbplone.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18570725.2.7.3 |access-date=6 October 2010 |work=[[Otago Witness]] |date=25 July 1857 |issue=295 |page=4}}</ref> In the 1860s, he ran a law practice in Dunedin with [[William Richmond (politician)|William Richmond]], a fellow (ex) MP.<ref name="Te Ara (1966)">{{cite book | title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand | orig-year=originally published in 1966 |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/gillies-thomas-bannatyne/1 | editor-first=A. H. | editor-last=McLintock | editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock | access-date= 6 October 2010 | chapter= Gillies, Thomas Bannatyne | date= 22 April 2009}}</ref>
===Political=== {{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}} {{NZ parlbox |start = [[1860 Dunedin Country by-election|1860]] |end = |term = 2nd |electorate = [[Dunedin Country]] |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox |start = [[1860–1861 New Zealand general election|1861]] |end = 1865 |term = 3rd |electorate = [[Bruce (New Zealand electorate)|Bruce]] |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox break}} {{NZ parlbox |start = [[1870 Mongonui by-election|1870]] |end = |term = 4th |electorate = [[Mongonui (New Zealand electorate)|Mongonui]] |party = Independent politician }} {{NZ parlbox |start = [[1871 New Zealand general election|1871]] |end = 1875 |term = 5th |electorate = [[Auckland West]] |party = Independent politician }} {{End}} He was the Member of Parliament for [[Dunedin Country]] from 1860 (after a by-election), then [[Bruce (New Zealand electorate)|Bruce]] 1861 to 1865; two electorates in the South Island.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=199}} While he had been a cabinet minister in the [[Domett Ministry, 1862–1863|Domett Ministry]] (August 1862) and then the [[Whitaker–Fox Ministry, 1863–1864|Whitaker–Fox Ministry]] (October 1863 – November 1864),{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=61f}} he was a strong [[South Island nationalism#The provincial period|separationist]], but did not get majority support in the ministries or from parliament as a whole, and he resigned his parliamentary seat in early 1865 as he could not achieve separation of the [[South Island]]. He first talked about having resigned in public on 6 January 1865 but the resignation did not take effect until 3 March of that year.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=199}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Separation |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18650114.2.12?query=gillies%20resigned |access-date=18 January 2017 |work=[[Otago Witness]] |issue=685 |date=14 January 1865 |page=5}}</ref>
Gillies then represented [[Mongonui (New Zealand electorate)|Mongonui]] 1870 (elected 30 March 1870; Parliament dissolved 30 December 1870) then [[Auckland West]] 1871 to 1875 (resigned); two electorates in the North Island.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=199}}
He was the seventh [[Superintendent (New Zealand)|Superintendent]] of [[Auckland Province]] from 1869 to 1873.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=179}}
He was a cabinet minister, and held the positions of [[Attorney-General (New Zealand)|Attorney-General]] (August 1862) in the [[Domett Ministry, 1862–1863|Domett Ministry]], Postmaster-General and Secretary for Crown Lands (1863–1864) in the [[Whitaker–Fox Ministry, 1863–1864|Whitaker–Fox Ministry]], and [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Colonial Treasurer]] (1872) in the [[Stafford Ministry, 1872|third Stafford Ministry]].{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=62, 64}}
===Science=== Gillies and [[Frederick Wollaston Hutton]] initiated the public meeting of 6 November 1867, to establish the Auckland Philosophical Society, soon renamed [[Auckland Institute and Museum|Auckland Institute]], following a conversation they'd had about the [[New Zealand Parliament|General Assembly's]] efforts in forming the [[Royal Society Te Apārangi|New Zealand Institute]]. When Gillies had visited Wellington, [[James Hector]], manager of the institute, had suggested the appropriateness of establishing branches throughout New Zealand, especially in Auckland. In consequence, the newly formed Auckland Institute was incorporated with the New Zealand Institute on 10 June 1868. Gillies served as president of the Auckland Institute in 1869, with the transfer of Auckland Museum to the Auckland Institute in October 1869, as well as in 1873 and 1876.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Zealand Society |work=The Daily Southern Cross |volume=23 |issue=3217 |date=7 November 1867 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18671107.2.15 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Philosophical Society |work=Daily Southern Cross |volume=24 |issue=3295 |date=7 February 1868 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18680207.2.24}}</ref><ref name="AI&M1869">{{citation |title=The Annual Meeting of the Members held at the Museum Feb 15th–1869: First Annual Report |publisher=Auckland Institute |date=1869 |url=https://ia801005.us.archive.org/14/items/AklMuseum_AnnualReport_1868/aim_ann_report_1868.ocr.pdf}}</ref><ref name="NZH18691019.2.14">{{cite news |title=Auckland Institute |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=6 |issue=1798 |date=19 October 1869 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18691019.2.14}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Annual Report: Auckland Institute |publisher=Auckland Institute |date=1870 |url=https://ia903105.us.archive.org/20/items/AklMuseum_AnnualReport_1869/aim_ann_report_1869.ocr.pdf}}</ref> He also contributed papers on scientific matters to the Auckland Institute and New Zealand Institute.
He died in his home, ''Rocklands'', in Gillies Avenue, Epsom, following an apoplectic seizure on 26 July 1889.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX18890726.2.8 |title=Death |publisher=Marlborough Express |date=26 July 1889 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18890727.2.41?query=Gillies&page=2&start_date=25-07-1889&end_date=31-07-1889&snippet=true&type=ARTICLE |title=Death |work=[[Auckland Star]] |date=27 July 1889 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18890812.2.48.3 |title=Obituary |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |volume=26 |issue=9441 |date=12 August 1889 |page=10 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18890727.2.35 |title=Obituary |work=[[Auckland Star]] |date=27 July 1889 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18890727.2.32 |title=Obituary |work=[[The New Zealand Times]] |date=27 July 1889 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18890727.2.32 |title=Obituary |work=[[Otago Daily Times]] |date=27 July 1889 |via=[[Papers Past]]}}</ref> Gillies's first wife, Catherine, died in 1865; he married secondly, in 1867, Agnes (d. 1884), daughter of John Sinclair, of Glasgow, niece of [[Andrew Sinclair (botanist)|Andrew Sinclair]], second Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, and sister-in-law of [[David Bruce (minister)|David Bruce]]. He had six children altogether from both marriages.<ref>Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, ed. R. H. Mair, Debrett's, 1885, p. 419</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1g9/gillies-thomas-bannatyne |title=Gillies, Thomas Bannatyne}}</ref>
==Publications== * {{cite journal |last=Gillies |first=Thomas Bannatyne |title=Notes on Land and Fresh-water Shells Collected in the Northern Part of the Province of Auckland, During the Month of April, 1868 |journal=Proceedings of the Auckland Institute |volume= |date=1868 |pages=60–61 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1868-1.2.14}} * {{cite journal |last=Gillies |first=Thomas Bannatyne |title=Art. IX.—On the Occurrence of Footprints of the Moa at Poverty Bay |journal= Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute |volume=4 |date=1871 |pages=127–128 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1871-4.2.6.1.2.9}} * {{cite journal |last=Gillies |first=Thomas Bannatyne |title=Art. LIII.—Notes on the Growth of Certain Trees on Scoria Soil Near Mount Eden, Auckland |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute |volume=12 |date=1879 |page=357 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1879-12.2.7.1.53}} * {{cite journal |last=Gillies |first=Thomas Bannatyne |title=Art. XXXIII.—Further Notes on ''Sorghum'' Experiments |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute |volume=15 |date=1882 |pages=261–267 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1882-15.2.5.1.33}} * {{cite journal |last=Gillies |first=Thomas Bannatyne |title=Art. XXXIV.—On the Growth of the Cork Oak in Auckland |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute |volume=15 |date=1882 |pages=267 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1882-15.2.5.1.34}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== *{{cite book |author-link = Guy Scholefield | last = Scholefield | first= Guy | title = New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 | edition = 3rd | orig-year=First published in 1913 | year = 1950 |publisher = Govt. Printer |location = Wellington}} *{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} |- {{s-bef | before = [[Henry Sewell]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Attorney-General (New Zealand)|Attorney-General]] | years=1862}} {{s-aft | after = Henry Sewell}} |- {{s-bef | before = [[Crosbie Ward]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Postmaster-General]] | years=1863–1864}} {{s-aft | after = [[John Richardson (New Zealand politician)|John Richardson]]}} |- {{s-bef | before = [[John Williamson (New Zealand politician)|John Williamson]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Auckland Province|Superintendent of Auckland Province]] | years=1869–1873}} {{s-aft | after = John Williamson}} {{s-par | nz}} {{s-bef | before = [[William Cargill (New Zealand politician)|William Cargill]] }} {{s-ttl | title = [[Dunedin Country|Member of Parliament for Dunedin Country]] | years = 1860 | alongside = [[John Parkin Taylor]] }} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}} {{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Bruce (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Bruce]] | years = 1861–1865 | alongside = [[Charles Kettle]], [[Edward Cargill]] }} {{s-aft | after = [[Arthur John Burns]] }} {{s-bef | before = [[Thomas Ball (New Zealand politician)|Thomas Ball]] }} {{s-ttl | title = [[Mongonui (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Mongonui]] | years = 1870 }} {{s-aft | after = [[John McLeod (New Zealand politician)|John McLeod]]}} {{s-bef | before = [[Patrick Dignan (politician)|Patrick Dignan]] }} {{s-ttl | title = [[Auckland West|Member of Parliament for Auckland West]] | years = 1871–1875 | alongside = [[John Williamson (New Zealand politician)|John Williamson]] }} {{s-aft | after = [[George Grey]] }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillies, Thomas}} [[Category:1828 births]] [[Category:1889 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand]] [[Category:Attorneys-general of New Zealand]] [[Category:Ministers of finance of New Zealand]] [[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]] [[Category:Superintendents of New Zealand provincial councils]] [[Category:New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates]] [[Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians]] [[Category:Attorneys-general of the Colony of New Zealand]] [[Category:Hill–McIndoe–Gillies family]]