Charles Wilson

Charles Kendall Wilson (1862 – 19 November 1934) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

Biography Early life and career Wilson was born in Sydney, Australia and came to New Zealand aged 16 with his parents. He farmed at Levin then he was the West Coast manager for Abraham, and Williams Ltd for 18 years. He then moved to the King Country in 1910 where he returned to farming in Piopio.

Political career

He was elected to the Taumarunui electorate in the 1911 general election, but was defeated in 1914 by Liberal William Thomas Jennings. On 14 May 1915 Jennings' election was declared void. Wilson contested the electorate in the subsequent by-election, but was unsuccessful. At the 1919 general election he stood as an Independent Reform candidate in the Waitomo electorate. He finished second, beaten by Jennings again.

Later life and death He died in 1934 . His widow Helen Wilson wrote a highly regarded autobiography in which she recalls the bidding by the liquor trade for him to vote against or even just abstain on a 1910 bill which provided that only a 55-45 percent majority of the vote would be needed to bring in Prohibition. The Trade offered to pay his election expenses, and rose to expenses plus eight hundred pounds, but then they found cheaper support. She said: my husband was incorruptible.