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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Taranaki, Hawke's Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts]

Member Of The House Of Representatives — Mr. Charles Edwin Major,

Member Of The House Of Representatives.

Mr. Charles Edwin Major, Member of the House of Representatives for Hawera, was elected in December, 1902, and re-elected in December, 1905. Mr. Major was born at St. Heliers, Jersey, in 1859, and is the son of Mr. Edwin Newton Major, mariner, now living in retirement at St. Malo, France. He was educated in his native town, and, at the age of twelve, came to New Zealand in the ship “Jessie Readman,” from which he landed in Wellington on Christmas Day, 1871, after a passage of eighty-one days. He found employment in a store at Oroua, Manawatu, but a year later he returned to Wellington, where he entered the office of Messrs Brandon and Quick, solicitors, and for two years was with the late Mr. J. Gordon Allan, as managing clerk. His next change was to Gisborne, where for a year he managed the extensive legal business of the late Mr. E. Ward. He was next with Mr. Joshua Cuff, of Gisborne, but when Mr. Cuff removed to Auckland, Mr. Major entered into business in Hawera with Mr. Parrington. That was in 1880, and six months later Mr. Major established his present business in the offices he still occupies. During his long residence in Hawera, Mr. Major has lent valuable assistance to almost every public enterprise of importance, page 225 portance, and many movements have been set on foot by him; and it is said that Hawera possesses more civic advantages than any other town of the same population in Australasia. As an interesting item in the history of athletics in New Zealand, it may be mentioned that the first meeting convened with the object of forming the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club was presided over by the late Mr. William Sefton Moorhouse, with whom were Messrs George Bishop, Frank Harrison, John Churton, G. F. C, Campbell (afterwards Commissioner of Taxes), and Mr. C. E. Major. These gentlemen joined the first committee, and Mr. Churton was the first secretary, Mr. Major was also one of the founders of the Wellington Athletic Football Club, and of the Taranaki Football Rugby Union, for which he for many years acted as secretary; and he has played as full back or forward in Wellington, Gisborne, and Taranaki representative teams. He also held the running championships in Gisborne and Wellington, and won the boys' races at the Boxing Day sports in 1871, and the Wellington Caledonian gathering in 1872. He is now a member of the Egmont Hunt Club, a cyclist, and a tennis player; president of the Hawera Musical Society and Hawera Cycling Club. He holds quite a number of vice-presidencies, and for some years he was captain of the Hawera Rifle Volunteers. Mr. Major was a member, of the first Charitable Aid Board for six years, and sat on the Patea Harbour Board; and he was District Coroner for many years, Mr. Major is interested in horse-racing, and has owned many well known animals and brood mares, such as “Home Rule,” “Rewa,” “Waverley.” “Bowshot,” “Docility,” “Rata,” “Nat,” “Nightingale,” and he is the owner of “Crimson Streak,” “Tommy Atkins,” “Chrissie,” “Bowman,” “Faugh-a-Ballagh,” “Immolation” and “Thistle.” He married a daughter of Mr. John Fermandez, of Auckland.