James Shiner Bond

James Shiner Bond
James Shiner Bond in 1902
15th Mayor of Hamilton
In office May 1905 – May 1909
Preceded by	William Dey
Succeeded by	Alexander Young
Personal details
Born	12 December 1858 Beaminster
Died	26 November 1922 Hamilton, New Zealand
Spouse(s)	Sarah Annie O’Connor ​ ​ (m. 1881)​ Ellen Graham ​ (m. 1905)​
Occupation	Printer

James Shiner Bond was a printer, newspaper owner and served as mayor of Cambridge, New Zealand, and then as mayor of Hamilton.

Personal and business life[]

James was the eldest son of Alfred Bond and Sarah, née Shiner, born on 12 December 1858 in Beaminster.^[1] He started as an apprentice printer when he was 13.^[2] James arrived at Whanganui in 1878,^[3] working as a job printer at the Rangitikei Advocate. In 1880 he moved to Cambridge, where he was printer at the Waikato Mail.^[4]

James married Sarah Annie O’Connor on 1 May 1881 and they had 9 children,^[1] among them were:

• Alfred James, (born 1885) and Augustine (born 4 August 1890), who sailed with the 16th Waikato Regiment on 16 October 1914.^[5] Augustine was killed in the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 and is buried in Baby 700 cemetery at Anzac Cove.^[6] Alfred returned in 1918,^[7] after being wounded and gassed,^[8] and, in 1919, married Ada Ring.^[9] Patricia was one of their children.^[10] Alfred continued the family stationery business until he died on 15 April 1928.^[11] He was buried in Hamilton East Cemetery.^[5]
• Francis Cecil farmed at Rotokauri.^[12]
• Fred C, born on 5 January 1884, published a directory.^[13] He survived the war^[14] and being sunk when the Wimmera hit a mine in 1918.^[15]
• Percy was wounded in France in 1916.^[16][17]

Sarah died on 20 April 1902.^[18] James married Ellen Octavia Graham on 29 March 1905 at Ponsonby^[19] and had 3 more children.^[1] Ellen died on 17 December 1955, aged 89.^[20]

Waikato Times and J S Bond store in 1906

In 1881 he started the Atlas Printing Company which also sold books and stationery.^[1] It was affected by a large fire in Cambridge in 1889.^[21] In July 1895 James started the Waikato Advocate, a weekly journal, which bought the masthead and property of the Waikato Times from the Bank of New Zealand in 1896.^[22] The previous owner, George Edgecumbe, was given a fortnight to give up possession. He set up a rival Waikato Argus and took the files, advertising contacts and subscriber lists, leaving James with the building, membership of the Press Association and a printing press. James began publishing the Waikato Times every evening, rather than 3 mornings a week.^[23][24] In 1898 a large fire cracked the windows of his stationery shop at the Waikato Times.^[25] In 1902 he sold the Waikato Times to Paull & Venables and was presented with a desk by his employees.^[26][27][28] From 1898 to 1919 he was the Hamilton agent for the Public Trustee Office.^[29] He retired to Remuera in 1920.^[4]

He died at Remuera on 26 November 1922^[4] and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery.^[3]

Bond Street in Hamilton East was named after him^[30] by its developer.^[31]

Public life[]

James joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge on 5 April 1887.^[32] He was on Cambridge Borough Council for 9 years,^[4] including being mayor from 22 November 1892,^[33] re-elected unopposed in 1894^[34] and serving until 1895.^[4] He was elected to Hamilton Borough Council in 1900^[35] and 1901,^[36] being elected unopposed as mayor in April 1905^[37] and 1906^[38] and elected again in 1907^[39] and 1908,^[40] serving until May 1909 and again elected as a councillor in 1913.^[41] He was also on the Waikato Licensing Committee from 1894,^[42] president of the Winter Show Association,^[43] the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association, chairman of Waikato Hospital Board and, when the Hamilton High School Board of Governors was first constituted in 1911, he took a seat on the Board.^[4] He was a member of the Auckland Harbour Board,^[44][45][46] on the Auckland Board of Education,^[47][48][49] chairman of directors of the Theatre Royal Company, Ltd^[4] and active in the Church of England.^[50] Shortly before he died he was elected to the Auckland Grammar School Board.^[51]

References[]

External links[]

Photos -

• Portrait in masonic robe
• 1901 portrait
• 1907 portrait
• 1908 with councillors
• Mrs Bond