Frederick Alexander Whitaker

Frederick Alexander Whitaker (1 March 1847 – 9 June 1887) was a 19th-century member of parliament in the Waikato region of New Zealand.

Frederick Alexander Whitaker in 1882
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1879–1881 7th Waipa Independent
1881–1884 8th Waipa Independent

Whitaker was born in Pernambuco, Brazil, on 1 March 1847; he was the eldest son of Frederick Whitaker, New Zealand's 5th Premier. He married Kate Cox, the daughter of Alfred Cox, at Riverslea farm near Temuka in South Canterbury on 30 September 1879, three days after her 20th birthday. In the same ceremony, Cox's twin sister Marian married Francis Henry Barker, the fourth son of the late Dr Alfred Barker.[1]

He lost the 1878 by-election for Waipa to Edward Graham McMinn, a "Greyite".

He then represented the Waipa electorate from 1879 to 1884, when he retired having served as government whip during his father's premiership.[2]

He committed suicide in the Auckland Club on 9 June 1887 triggered by losses from land speculation.[3] He was given a private funeral and was buried alongside his mother in St. Stephen's Churchyard in Auckland.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Marriages". The Timaru Herald. Vol. XXXI, no. 1578. 11 October 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  2. ^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 245. OCLC 154283103.
  3. ^ Stone, R. C. J. "Whitaker, Frederick". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Find a Grave Frederick Alexander Whitaker". Find a Grave. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Waipa
1879–1884
Succeeded by