Alfred Saunders

Alfred Saunders
Alfred Saunders in ca 1865
3rd Superintendent of Nelson Province
In office Mar 1865 – 4 February 1867
Personal details
Born	(1820-06-12)12 June 1820
Died
Political party	Independent
Children	ten, including Sarah Page

Alfred Saunders (12 June 1820 – 28 October 1905) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician.

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1861–1864	3rd	Waimea		Independent
1878–1879	6th	Cheviot		Independent
1879–1881	7th	Cheviot		Independent
1889–1890	10th	Lincoln		Independent
1890–1893	11th	Selwyn		Independent
1893–1896	12th	Selwyn		Independent

He was elected onto the Nelson Provincial Council representing Waimea South in 1855 and remained a councillor until his election of Superintendent for the Nelson Province from 1865 to 1867. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Waimea in 1861, and he resigned from this seat in 1864. He then represented Cheviot from 1878 to 1881 when he was defeated. He contested the 1888 by-election in the Ashley electorate and was defeated by John Verrall by just two votes. From 1889 to 1890 he represented the Lincoln electorate and from 1890 to 1896 he represented Selwyn, being defeated at the general election of 1896 for the latter constituency.

File:Linwood Cemetery Saunders1.jpg

Saunders' gravestone at Linwood Cemetery

He supported the Temperance Union petition in favour of woman's suffrage to Parliament in 1891. He had ten children, including Sarah Page.

Further reading

• Mennell, Philip (1892). " Saunders, Alfred". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource 

Political offices
Preceded by John Perry Robinson	Superintendent of Nelson Province 1865–1867	Succeeded by Oswald Curtis
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by David Monro Fedor Kelling	Member of Parliament for Waimea 1861–1864	Succeeded by John George Miles
Preceded by Leonard Harper	Member of Parliament for Cheviot 1878–1881	Succeeded by Hugh McIlraith
Preceded by Arthur O'Callaghan	Member of Parliament for Lincoln 1889–1890	Constituency abolished
Preceded by John Hall	Member of Parliament for Selwyn 1890–1896	Succeeded by Cathcart Wason