{{Short description|New Zealand politician}} {{For|the Australian climate scientist|Tom Wigley}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2017}}

'''Thomas Henry Wigley''' (1825 – 17 June 1895) was a [[wiktionary:runholder|runholder]] in New Zealand. Born in England, he came to New Zealand via Australia in 1860. He was a member of the [[Nelson Provincial Council]] (1867–1869) and the [[New Zealand Legislative Council]] (1870–1891).

==Biography== Wigley was born in England in 1825, the son of Henry Rodolph Wigley (1794–1876).<ref name=Scholefield>{{cite book | editor-last = Scholefield | editor-first = Guy | editor-link = Guy Scholefield | title = A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : M–Addenda | volume = II | year = 1940 | publisher = [[Department of Internal Affairs]] | location = Wellington | url = https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v2.pdf |page=506}}</ref> His father was the first magistrate in [[South Australia]], where T. H. Wigley arrived on the ''Schah'' aged 13 years.<ref name="Press obit">{{cite news |title=Thomas Henry Wigley |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18950619.2.32 |access-date=17 November 2022 |work=[[The Press]] |volume=LII |issue=9134 |date=19 June 1895 |page=5}}</ref> He had received his education at [[Christ's Hospital]].<ref name=Scholefield /> [[William Wigley]] (c. 1826–1890) [[South Australian House of Assembly|MHA]] was a brother. After farming on the [[Murray River]], he came to New Zealand in 1860. At first, he farmed Balmoral Station in North [[Canterbury Region|Canterbury]].<ref name="Press obit" /> From 7 February 1867 to 22 September 1869, he represented the Amuri electorate in the [[Nelson Provincial Council]].<ref>{{cite book |authorlink = Guy Scholefield | last = Scholefield | first= Guy | title = New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 | edition = 3rd | orig-date=First published in 1913 | year = 1950 |publisher = Govt. Printer |location = Wellington | page = 214}}</ref> He was a member of the [[New Zealand Legislative Council]] from 13 May 1870 to 11 June 1891, when he was disqualified for absence.<ref>{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 |edition= 4 |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103 |page=166}}</ref>

Wigley sold Balmoral and soon after, in 1871, he became a third-owner in the Kakahu and Opuha Gorge Station inland from [[Temuka]] in South Canterbury. Other partners in this venture were brothers [[John Studholme|John]] and Michael Studholme, and F. Banks. The 1889 land reforms initiated by the government resulted in them losing their leasehold land, and the partners split up their freehold land in 1890, with Wigley keeping Opuha Gorge.<ref>{{cite book |last=Acland |first=Leopold George Dyke |title=The Early Canterbury Runs: Containing the First, Second and Third (new) Series |year=1946 |publisher=Whitcombe and Tombs Limited |location=Christchurch |url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-AclEarl-t1-body-d6-d5.html}}</ref>

==Family== On 17 February 1863, Wigley married Mary Moorhouse at the [[Church of St Michael and All Angels, Christchurch|Church of St Michael and All Angels]] in Christchurch. She was the daughter of William Moorhouse of Yorkshire, and [[William Sefton Moorhouse]] thus became Wigley's brother-in-law.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marriage |work=[[Lyttelton Times]] |date=21 February 1863 |page=4 |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18630221.2.13 | volume=XIX | issue=1073 | access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref> Wigley's wife died on 18 May 1874.<ref>{{cite news |title=Death |work=[[Lyttelton Times]] |date=19 May 1874 |page=2 |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18740519.2.12 | volume=XLI | issue=4153 | access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref> He then married Annie Caroline Lysaght of [[Wellington]] on 5 November 1879.<ref name="Rodolph Wigley" /> Their son, [[Rodolph Wigley]], was the founder of the [[Mount Cook Group]] of transport and tourism companies.<ref name="Rodolph Wigley">{{DNZB|Ogilvie|Gordon|3w13|Wigley, Rodolph Lysaght|7 November 2015||Gordon Ogilvie}}</ref> Sir [[Harry Wigley]] was their grandson.<ref name="Henry Wigley">{{DNZB|Drake|D. E.|5w29|Wigley, Henry Rodolph|7 November 2015}}</ref> Wigley came to Christchurch in June 1895 for medical attention. He died a fortnight later in Christchurch on 17 June 1895.<ref name="Scholefield" /><ref name="Press obit" />

==References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wigley, Thomas}} [[Category:1825 births]] [[Category:1895 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council]] [[Category:Members of the Nelson Provincial Council]] [[Category:Moorhouse–Rhodes family]] [[Category:English emigrants to New Zealand]] [[Category:Lysaght family]]