Clifton Webb (politician)
Sir Clifton Webb KCMG QC | |
---|---|
18th Attorney-General | |
In office 13 December 1949 – 26 November 1954 | |
Prime Minister | Sidney Holland |
Preceded by | Rex Mason |
Succeeded by | Jack Marshall |
31st Minister of Justice | |
In office 13 December 1949 – 26 November 1954 | |
Prime Minister | Sidney Holland |
Preceded by | Rex Mason |
Succeeded by | Jack Marshall |
Personal details | |
Born | Thomas Clifton Webb 8 March 1889 Te Kōpuru, New Zealand |
Died | 6 February 1962 Wellington, New Zealand | (aged 72)
Political party | National |
Spouse(s) | Lucy Nairn |
Children | 2 daughters |
Alma mater | Auckland University College |
Sir Thomas Clifton Webb KCMG QC (8 March 1889 – 6 February 1962), known as Clifton Webb, was a New Zealand politician and diplomat.
Early life[]
He was born in Te Kōpuru in the Kaipara District in 1889. Thomas Webb was his father. He received his education at Te Kōpuru School, [[Auckland Grammar School, and the studied at Auckland University College.[1] He practised law in Dargaville. He was in the army from 1917 to 1919, then returned to his practice in Dargaville and was a borough councillor there from 1921 to 1923. He moved to Auckland in 1927 and established a new law firm there.[2]
Member of Parliament[]
New Zealand Parliament | ||||
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
1943–1946 | 27th | Kaipara | Independent | |
1946 | Changed allegiance to: | National | ||
1946–1949 | 28th | Rodney | National | |
1949–1951 | 29th | Rodney | National | |
1951–1954 | 30th | Rodney | National |
He sat in Parliament from 1943 until 1954: first as an Independent National MP for Kaipara (1943–1946) and then as the National Party MP for Rodney (1946–1954).[3] A key aide to party leader Sidney Holland, he was appointed to Attorney-General upon National gaining power in 1949. As Minister of Justice, he was responsible for drafting the legislation that resulted in the abolition of the Legislative Council.[2]
In 1951, he took his first step into diplomacy by adding Minister for External Affairs and Minister of Island Territories to his other duties; portfolios which he held from 1951 to 1954.[4] In 1955, Webb was granted the use of the title of "Honourable" for life, having served more than three years as a member of the Executive Council.[5] He served as the country's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between 1955 and 1958, and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1956 New Year Honours.[6]
Family[]
On 1 September 1915, Webb married Lucy Nairn in Auckland; they were to have two daughters.[1] He died on 6 February 1962 in Wellington.[7] His wife died in 1983.[8]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Petersen, George Conrad (1961). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1961 (7th ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 290.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Templeton, Hugh. "Webb, Thomas Clifton". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 147.
- ^ New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vols. 296–304 (1951–1954).
- ^ "No. 40421". The London Gazette. 1 March 1955. p. 1269.
- ^ "No. 40671". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 January 1956. p. 43.
- ^ Petersen, George Conrad (1964). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1964 (8th ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 305.
- ^ "Details". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
External links[]
- 1889 births
- 1962 deaths
- Attorneys-General of New Zealand
- Independent MPs of New Zealand
- New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- New Zealand foreign ministers
- New Zealand lawyers
- New Zealand National Party MPs
- University of Auckland alumni
- People educated at Auckland Grammar School
- High Commissioners of New Zealand to the United Kingdom
- New Zealand Queen's Counsel
- People from Dargaville
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
- New Zealand politicians awarded knighthoods
- 20th-century lawyers