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John George Miles

1838 – 1884

New Zealand politician

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About John George Miles

Lived 1838 – 1884 (aged 46). John George Miles was a New Zealand politician and farmer.

John George Miles (17 Jan 1838 – 20 December 1884) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Nelson, New Zealand.

Miles was born in 1838 in Finsbury, London, the son of John Hamilton Miles and Mary Smith. He arrived in Nelson, New Zealand around 1853 and farmed near the town. He married Alice Harriott Smith on 20 September 1860 at Spring Grove (located between Brightwater and Wakefield), Waimea, New Zealand. Their son Bramston Hamilton Miles was born on 22 February 1863, but his wife died three weeks later from childbirth complications on 14 March.

He represented the Waimea electorate from to January 1866, when he retired. The 1865 parliamentary session had already finished on 30 October, and in early December, Miles addressed a public meeting reviewing his term as the electorate's representative, and saying goodbye to his constituents, as he planned to spend the next two years in England. He offered to be their representative again upon his return. He had promised his dying wife to take their son to England, so that he could be brought up by her parents and siblings. Miles returned to New Zealand on the Electra, which arrived in Wellington on 22 October 1867, and continued to Nelson on the Rangitoto. On 18 May 1872, he married Maria Matilda Downer at St James Cathedral. They had a son, Charles Henry Valentine Miles, the following year, but he died on 11 March 1874 aged 13 months; at the time, the family was living at Emerald Hill. By 1877, he was an accountant, land, and commission agent. In March 1883, Miles was appointed secretary at the Austin Hospital for Incurables; by then, they were living in Prahran. Miles died at Prahran on 20 December 1884. He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Also known as
John Miles

People in John George Miles's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John George Miles's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John George Miles?

New Zealand politician

When was John George Miles born?

John George Miles was born on 17 January 1838 in London Borough of Islington.

When did John George Miles die?

John George Miles died on 20 December 1884.

What was John George Miles's occupation?

John George Miles was a politician and farmer.

What nationality was John George Miles?

John George Miles was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John George Miles

· Wikidata: Q6235146

· DBpedia: John George Miles

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John George Miles. https://biography.guide/john-george-miles/

MLA: "John George Miles." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-george-miles/.

Chicago: "John George Miles." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-george-miles/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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