John Rolleston

John Christopher Rolleston (4 December 1877 – 22 May 1956) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

Early life

Rolleston was born in Christchurch on 4 December 1877, the son of Mary Rolleston. His father, the last Superintendent of the Canterbury Province, William Rolleston was in Wellington for the third session of the 6th Parliament and intended to be home in the second week of December, but it is likely that he will have missed the birth, as his seventh child (of nine in total) was born a week early. At the time of his birth, the family was living at Linwood House . His grandfather was Joseph Brittan (1805–1867).

From 1880 to 1884, the Rolleston family lived in Wellington. He served in World War I. He left Lyttelton on 16 October 1914 on board the Tiroa for Egypt as a trooper. He was badly wounded on his left arm in the Gallipoli Campaign.

After the war, he returned to his farm in Rangitoto. They were to have one son (Christopher; d. 1954).

Political career

Rolleston was chosen by the Reform Party to be the candidate in the Waitomo electorate in the 1922 general election. He was defeated in 1928 by Walter Broadfoot of the United Party. In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.

Death Rolleston died on 22 May 1956.