fbpx
Wikipedia

James Gapes

May 04, 2024

James Gapes JP (1822 – 22 October 1899) was a local politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was Mayor of Christchurch on two occasions, and the father of a later mayor, Thomas Gapes. He was the first mayor who was elected by the voting public; previously city councillors chose one from their rank as mayor.

James Gapes
JP
James Gapes in ca 1882
9th Mayor of Christchurch
In office
2 January 1877 – 19 December 1877
Preceded byFred Hobbs
Succeeded byHenry Thomson
In office
15 December 1880 – 21 December 1881
Preceded byCharles Thomas Ick
Succeeded byGeorge Ruddenklau
Personal details
Born1822
Saffron Walden
Died22 October 1899
Christchurch
Resting placeLinwood Cemetery
43°32′19″S 172°41′11″E / 43.5385°S 172.6863°E / -43.5385; 172.6863 (Linwood cemetery)
Spousedaughter of Mr. Le Lean (m. 1843)
RelationsThomas Gapes (son)
William Gapes (twin brother)

Early life edit

Gapes was born in Saffron Walden in Essex, England in 1822. He went to school there and continued his training in London. He held employment with the same firm in London for 22 years.[1] He married Jane Le Lean in 1843 (b. 1823 or 1824[2]), and they had four daughters and six sons.[1]

Gapes and his wife Jane came out with their children and other relatives – Hannah (21 years), Charlotte (16 years), Thomas (11 years), Mary (7 years), Angelina (5 years) and Emily (8 months), plus his cousin Lizzie Westwood (b. 1826 in Hertfordshire)[3] emigrated to the colony, leaving Gravesend on 29 August 1859 and arriving in Lyttelton on 4 December 1859 on board the Regina.[4] Gapes' twin brother William Gapes had already arrived in New Zealand on the Clontarf in January 1859 and eventually settled in Gapes Valley.[5][6]

Life in Christchurch edit

Gapes started a glass, paint and paperhanging business in 71 Victoria Street. In 1889, he passed the company to his son Thomas.[7]

He was a member of many organisations and bodies, often in a leading role, including the Christchurch Hospital Board, Canterbury Lodge Freemason, the Order of Foresters, and Court Star of Canterbury.[1]

As a flautist, he gave many concerts with Sir John Cracroft Wilson.[1]

Local body politics edit

Before 1916, elections for Christchurch City Council were held annually. Gapes was elected onto the city council six times: first in February 1873 in a by-election,[8][9] then in 1874, 1877, 1878, 1879 and 1881.[10][11]

The mayor was for the first time elected by voters on 20 December 1876; until the previous year, the mayor was chosen from amongst the city councillors, and they usually elected the most senior councillor.[12][13]

The 20 December 1876 mayoral election was contested by Gapes and Charles Thomas Ick, with Gapes representing working class interests, whereas Ick represented the wealthier part of the population.[14] Gapes and Ick received 680 and 515 votes, respectively, and Gapes was thus declared elected.[15] Gapes was sworn in as mayor at the next Christchurch City Council meeting on 2 January 1877.[16]

At the end of 1877, Gapes was challenged by Henry Thomson for the mayoralty. Gapes declared that he would not have wanted to oppose a city councillor standing for the office of mayor, but that he stood to clear up his reputation, as unwarranted accusations had been made against him. Thomson, over the course of the election campaign, started to believe that he would not have a chance at the election. The result was very close, with Thomson receiving 474 votes against 461 votes for Gapes. The returning officer declared Thomson elected at the evening of the election day (28 November 1877).[17][18] Thomson was installed as mayor at a meeting on 19 December 1877.[19]

Gapes was elected again on 24 November 1880, when he defeated Aaron Ayers.[20] He was installed as mayor on 15 December 1880.[21]

Gapes announced on 25 November 1881 his candidacy for a third term as mayor, as he was not satisfied with the other two contenders for the position, the timber merchant Charles Benjamin Taylor,[22] and George Ruddenklau.[23] However, on 28 November, Gapes advertised that he had withdrawn from the contest.[24][25] The election was won by Ruddenklau on 30 November,[26][27] possibly helped by the support of The Star just prior to the election.[28] Ruddenklau was installed as the next mayor on 21 December 1881.[29]

His son Thomas Gapes was the 20th Mayor of Christchurch.[18]

Family edit

 
Advertisement published on 7 August 1876
 
Gapes family, ca 1907

The Gapes family was of humble origin, and they are an example of the opportunities that were available to immigrants to New Zealand.[30] When the Canterbury edition of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand was produced, it was his son Thomas who wrote the various entries for the Gapes family. As the Cyclopedia was vanity press, it gave him the chance to downplay the family's humble background, and he focussed on their important associations in Christchurch.[31] Thomas Gapes stated about his father that "while in London Mr. Gapes was intimately associated with the early pioneers of Canterbury, and took a very active part in the business of colonisation, especially in connection with the Canterbury settlement."[30] This was rather unlikely, though, as the Gapes family travelled to New Zealand as assisted immigrants, i.e. they had their journey subsidised for them; assisted immigrants were not those who were influential in their homeland.

James Gapes' youngest son, Alfred, died aged 18 on 6 June 1886.[32] He was buried at Linwood Cemetery.[33]

His son James became an alcoholic and eventually died penniless on 16 October 1894.[34] On 5 August 1876, James Gapes (junior) was fined 20s for "drunkenness, assaulting and resisting the police".[35] As the case had been reported in the newspaper and due to father and son sharing their first name, Gapes (senior) took out an advertisement later that month to protect his reputation. Alice Gapes (née Swindell, married 1875[36]), the wife of James Gapes (junior), outlived him by eight years. The Christchurch City Library holds an interesting biography on her, not because she had a public persona, but as an example of a woman coping as best as she could during the Victorian time.[37]

Gapes' third daughter, Angelina, married L. H. Nelson on 10 August 1876.[38]

His fourth daughter, Emily, married Frank John Preston on 12 June 1879.[39]

Gapes' wife, who was well regarded in Christchurch for her attitude to charity, died on 5 July 1886, aged 62 years.[2] Gapes outlived her for 13 years and died in Christchurch on 22 October 1899, aged 77 years. He is buried at Linwood cemetery.[40]

His sister Charlotte died aged 89 on 27 September 1928.[41]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Mr. James Gapes. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Deaths". The Star. No. 5663. Christchurch. 6 July 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Unsung Heroines – Lizzie Coker". Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Regina". New Zealand Yesteryears. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  5. ^ Macdonald, George. "Macdonald Dictionary Record: William Gapes". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Shipping news". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XI, no. 644. 8 January 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  7. ^ Gapes, Thomas, and Co. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  8. ^ "News of the Day". The Press. Vol. XXI, no. 2365. 4 March 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  9. ^ "To the ratepayers of the City of Christchurch". The Press. Vol. XXI, no. 2350. 14 February 1873. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  10. ^ Ex-Councillors – James Gapes. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  11. ^ . Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  12. ^ "To the Electors of the City of Christchurch". The Star. No. 2713. 8 December 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. XXVI, no. 3516. 12 December 1876. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  14. ^ "Telegrams". Bruce Herald. Vol. IX, no. 865. 22 December 1876. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Christchurch". The Star. No. 2724. 21 December 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  16. ^ "City Council". The Press. Vol. XXVII, no. 3584. 3 January 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  17. ^ "The Mayoral Election". The Press. Vol. XXVIII, no. 3855. 29 November 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  18. ^ a b . Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  19. ^ "News of the Day". The Press. Vol. XXVIII, no. 3873. 20 December 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Mayoral Elections". The Star. No. 3933. 25 November 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  21. ^ "Local and General". The Star. No. 3950. 15 December 1880. p. 2. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  22. ^ Mr. Charles Benjamin Taylor. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  23. ^ "The Mayoral Election". The Star. No. 4243. 26 November 1881. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  24. ^ "Local & General". The Star. No. 4244. 28 November 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  25. ^ "To the Electors of the City of Christchurch". The Press. Vol. XXXVI, no. 5062. 28 November 1881. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  26. ^ "The Mayoral Election". The Star. No. 4246. 30 November 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  27. ^ "The Mayoral Elections". The Star. No. 4247. 1 December 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  28. ^ "The Star". The Star. No. 4245. 29 November 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  29. ^ "Christchurch". The Press. Vol. XXXVI, no. 5083. 22 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  30. ^ a b Greenaway 2007, p. 46.
  31. ^ Greenaway 2007, p. 27.
  32. ^ "Deaths". The Star. No. 5638. 7 June 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  33. ^ "Page 2 advertisements, column 1". The Star. No. 5639. 8 June 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  34. ^ "Deaths". The Star. No. 5084. 18 October 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  35. ^ "Christchurch". The Star. No. 2610. 5 August 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  36. ^ "Marriage". The Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  37. ^ "Unsung Heroines : Alice Gapes". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  38. ^ "Marriage". The Star. No. 2614. 10 August 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  39. ^ "Marriage". The Star. No. 3485. 12 June 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  40. ^ "Obituary – Mr James Gapes". The Star. No. 6623. Christchurch. 23 October 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  41. ^ Greenaway 2007, p. 21.
Sources
  • Greenaway, Richard L. N. (June 2007). Linwood Cemetery Tour (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 2 June 2010.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Gapes.
  • Biography for Alice Gapes, daughter-in-law of James Gapes
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Christchurch
1877
1880–1881 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Succeeded by

May 04, 2024
james, gapes, 1822, october, 1899, local, politician, christchurch, zealand, mayor, christchurch, occasions, father, later, mayor, thomas, gapes, first, mayor, elected, voting, public, previously, city, councillors, chose, from, their, rank, mayor, 18829th, ma. James Gapes JP 1822 22 October 1899 was a local politician in Christchurch New Zealand He was Mayor of Christchurch on two occasions and the father of a later mayor Thomas Gapes He was the first mayor who was elected by the voting public previously city councillors chose one from their rank as mayor James GapesJPJames Gapes in ca 18829th Mayor of ChristchurchIn office 2 January 1877 19 December 1877Preceded byFred HobbsSucceeded byHenry ThomsonIn office 15 December 1880 21 December 1881Preceded byCharles Thomas IckSucceeded byGeorge RuddenklauPersonal detailsBorn1822Saffron WaldenDied22 October 1899ChristchurchResting placeLinwood Cemetery43 32 19 S 172 41 11 E 43 5385 S 172 6863 E 43 5385 172 6863 Linwood cemetery Spousedaughter of Mr Le Lean m 1843 RelationsThomas Gapes son William Gapes twin brother Contents 1 Early life 2 Life in Christchurch 2 1 Local body politics 3 Family 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editGapes was born in Saffron Walden in Essex England in 1822 He went to school there and continued his training in London He held employment with the same firm in London for 22 years 1 He married Jane Le Lean in 1843 b 1823 or 1824 2 and they had four daughters and six sons 1 Gapes and his wife Jane came out with their children and other relatives Hannah 21 years Charlotte 16 years Thomas 11 years Mary 7 years Angelina 5 years and Emily 8 months plus his cousin Lizzie Westwood b 1826 in Hertfordshire 3 emigrated to the colony leaving Gravesend on 29 August 1859 and arriving in Lyttelton on 4 December 1859 on board the Regina 4 Gapes twin brother William Gapes had already arrived in New Zealand on the Clontarf in January 1859 and eventually settled in Gapes Valley 5 6 Life in Christchurch editGapes started a glass paint and paperhanging business in 71 Victoria Street In 1889 he passed the company to his son Thomas 7 He was a member of many organisations and bodies often in a leading role including the Christchurch Hospital Board Canterbury Lodge Freemason the Order of Foresters and Court Star of Canterbury 1 As a flautist he gave many concerts with Sir John Cracroft Wilson 1 Local body politics edit Before 1916 elections for Christchurch City Council were held annually Gapes was elected onto the city council six times first in February 1873 in a by election 8 9 then in 1874 1877 1878 1879 and 1881 10 11 The mayor was for the first time elected by voters on 20 December 1876 until the previous year the mayor was chosen from amongst the city councillors and they usually elected the most senior councillor 12 13 The 20 December 1876 mayoral election was contested by Gapes and Charles Thomas Ick with Gapes representing working class interests whereas Ick represented the wealthier part of the population 14 Gapes and Ick received 680 and 515 votes respectively and Gapes was thus declared elected 15 Gapes was sworn in as mayor at the next Christchurch City Council meeting on 2 January 1877 16 At the end of 1877 Gapes was challenged by Henry Thomson for the mayoralty Gapes declared that he would not have wanted to oppose a city councillor standing for the office of mayor but that he stood to clear up his reputation as unwarranted accusations had been made against him Thomson over the course of the election campaign started to believe that he would not have a chance at the election The result was very close with Thomson receiving 474 votes against 461 votes for Gapes The returning officer declared Thomson elected at the evening of the election day 28 November 1877 17 18 Thomson was installed as mayor at a meeting on 19 December 1877 19 Gapes was elected again on 24 November 1880 when he defeated Aaron Ayers 20 He was installed as mayor on 15 December 1880 21 Gapes announced on 25 November 1881 his candidacy for a third term as mayor as he was not satisfied with the other two contenders for the position the timber merchant Charles Benjamin Taylor 22 and George Ruddenklau 23 However on 28 November Gapes advertised that he had withdrawn from the contest 24 25 The election was won by Ruddenklau on 30 November 26 27 possibly helped by the support of The Star just prior to the election 28 Ruddenklau was installed as the next mayor on 21 December 1881 29 His son Thomas Gapes was the 20th Mayor of Christchurch 18 Family edit nbsp Advertisement published on 7 August 1876 nbsp Gapes family ca 1907 The Gapes family was of humble origin and they are an example of the opportunities that were available to immigrants to New Zealand 30 When the Canterbury edition of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand was produced it was his son Thomas who wrote the various entries for the Gapes family As the Cyclopedia was vanity press it gave him the chance to downplay the family s humble background and he focussed on their important associations in Christchurch 31 Thomas Gapes stated about his father that while in London Mr Gapes was intimately associated with the early pioneers of Canterbury and took a very active part in the business of colonisation especially in connection with the Canterbury settlement 30 This was rather unlikely though as the Gapes family travelled to New Zealand as assisted immigrants i e they had their journey subsidised for them assisted immigrants were not those who were influential in their homeland James Gapes youngest son Alfred died aged 18 on 6 June 1886 32 He was buried at Linwood Cemetery 33 His son James became an alcoholic and eventually died penniless on 16 October 1894 34 On 5 August 1876 James Gapes junior was fined 20s for drunkenness assaulting and resisting the police 35 As the case had been reported in the newspaper and due to father and son sharing their first name Gapes senior took out an advertisement later that month to protect his reputation Alice Gapes nee Swindell married 1875 36 the wife of James Gapes junior outlived him by eight years The Christchurch City Library holds an interesting biography on her not because she had a public persona but as an example of a woman coping as best as she could during the Victorian time 37 Gapes third daughter Angelina married L H Nelson on 10 August 1876 38 His fourth daughter Emily married Frank John Preston on 12 June 1879 39 Gapes wife who was well regarded in Christchurch for her attitude to charity died on 5 July 1886 aged 62 years 2 Gapes outlived her for 13 years and died in Christchurch on 22 October 1899 aged 77 years He is buried at Linwood cemetery 40 His sister Charlotte died aged 89 on 27 September 1928 41 References edit a b c d Mr James Gapes Christchurch The Cyclopedia Company Limited 1903 Retrieved 22 February 2010 a b Deaths The Star No 5663 Christchurch 6 July 1886 p 2 Retrieved 22 February 2010 Unsung Heroines Lizzie Coker Christchurch Christchurch City Libraries Retrieved 22 February 2010 Regina New Zealand Yesteryears Retrieved 2 June 2010 Macdonald George Macdonald Dictionary Record William Gapes Macdonald Dictionary Canterbury Museum Retrieved 27 December 2019 Shipping news Lyttelton Times Vol XI no 644 8 January 1859 p 4 Retrieved 27 December 2019 Gapes Thomas and Co Christchurch The Cyclopedia Company Limited 1903 Retrieved 2 June 2010 News of the Day The Press Vol XXI no 2365 4 March 1873 p 2 Retrieved 8 May 2016 To the ratepayers of the City of Christchurch The Press Vol XXI no 2350 14 February 1873 p 4 Retrieved 8 May 2016 Ex Councillors James Gapes Christchurch The Cyclopedia Company Limited 1903 Retrieved 22 February 2010 Councillors of the City of Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch City Council Archived from the original on 20 July 2011 Retrieved 12 May 2010 To the Electors of the City of Christchurch The Star No 2713 8 December 1876 p 2 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Christchurch City Council The Press Vol XXVI no 3516 12 December 1876 p 4 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Telegrams Bruce Herald Vol IX no 865 22 December 1876 p 5 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Christchurch The Star No 2724 21 December 1876 p 2 Retrieved 13 April 2013 City Council The Press Vol XXVII no 3584 3 January 1877 p 3 Retrieved 13 April 2013 The Mayoral Election The Press Vol XXVIII no 3855 29 November 1877 p 3 Retrieved 24 April 2012 a b Chairmen and mayors Christchurch Christchurch City Council Archived from the original on 22 May 2010 Retrieved 25 April 2012 News of the Day The Press Vol XXVIII no 3873 20 December 1877 p 2 Retrieved 24 April 2012 Mayoral Elections The Star No 3933 25 November 1880 p 3 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Local and General The Star No 3950 15 December 1880 p 2 Retrieved 14 April 2013 Mr Charles Benjamin Taylor Christchurch The Cyclopedia Company Limited 1903 Retrieved 13 April 2013 The Mayoral Election The Star No 4243 26 November 1881 p 4 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Local amp General The Star No 4244 28 November 1881 p 3 Retrieved 13 April 2013 To the Electors of the City of Christchurch The Press Vol XXXVI no 5062 28 November 1881 p 1 Retrieved 13 April 2013 The Mayoral Election The Star No 4246 30 November 1881 p 3 Retrieved 13 April 2013 The Mayoral Elections The Star No 4247 1 December 1881 p 3 Retrieved 13 April 2013 The Star The Star No 4245 29 November 1881 p 2 Retrieved 13 April 2013 Christchurch The Press Vol XXXVI no 5083 22 December 1881 p 2 Retrieved 14 April 2013 a b Greenaway 2007 p 46 Greenaway 2007 p 27 Deaths The Star No 5638 7 June 1886 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Page 2 advertisements column 1 The Star No 5639 8 June 1886 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Deaths The Star No 5084 18 October 1894 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Christchurch The Star No 2610 5 August 1876 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Marriage The Department of Internal Affairs Retrieved 2 June 2010 Unsung Heroines Alice Gapes Christchurch City Libraries Retrieved 2 June 2010 Marriage The Star No 2614 10 August 1876 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Marriage The Star No 3485 12 June 1879 p 2 Retrieved 2 June 2010 Obituary Mr James Gapes The Star No 6623 Christchurch 23 October 1899 p 2 Retrieved 22 February 2010 Greenaway 2007 p 21 Sources Greenaway Richard L N June 2007 Linwood Cemetery Tour PDF Christchurch City Libraries Retrieved 2 June 2010 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Gapes Biography for Alice Gapes daughter in law of James Gapes Political offices Preceded byFred Hobbs Mayor of Christchurch18771880 1881 Succeeded byHenry Thomson Preceded byCharles Thomas Ick Succeeded byGeorge Ruddenklau Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Gapes amp oldid 1193506003, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.