Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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The Hon. James Fulton was the third son of Major Robert Bell Fulton, of the Honourable East India Company's Bengal Artillery, and was born in 1830. He was educated at Blackheath Proprietary School, and in 1849 he came to New Zealand by the ship “Ajax,” in company with Mr. W. H. Valpy, a retired Indian judge, one of whose daughters he married in 1852. Mr. Fulton engaged in sheepfarming at West Taieri, but was soon afterwards appointed Resident Magistrate at Outram and Dunedin. At the general election in 1879 he was invited to become a candidate for the representation of Taieri in Parliment, and was returned as member. In 1882 he was returned unopposed, and he was again returned for the Taieri—but not without opposition—in 1884 and 1887, in each instance defeating Mr Carncross. He was chairman of the Taieri County Council, a member of the University Council, Otago Education Board, and the High Schools Board of Governors. Mr. Fulton was called to the Legislative Council in January, page 80 1891, but he died on the 20th of November, of the same year, leaving a widow, and a grownup family of three sons and three daughters. Speaking of him, the “Otago Daily Times” said: “He has probably not left an enemy behind him in the world. Upright in the highest degree, conscientious in everything he did, invariably courteous, he was widely esteemed as a private citizen, and respected as a public man by those on the opposite, as well as on his own side in politics.” Mr. Fulton is further referred to in the section devoted to old colonists.