Margaret Semple JP (née McNair, 1876–3 September 1967) was a New Zealand socialist and local politician. She was married to Bob Semple, a Labour Party Cabinet Minister.
Margaret Semple | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Wellington City Councillor | |
| In office 11 May 1938 – 17 May 1941 | |
| Constituency | At-large |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1876 Bluff, New Zealand |
| Died | 3 September 1967 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Bob Semple |
| Children | 4 |
Biography edit
Early life edit
Margaret was born in 1876 to Thomas and Agnes McNair who both emigrated from Lanarkshire, Scotland to Otago, New Zealand.[1] Her mother died in 1887 after which her father took the family to Victoria, Australia.[2] Margaret married Bob Semple, a coal miner and unionist, at Outtrim, Victoria, on 27 June 1898. She gave birth to their first child a year later. The Semples initially lived in Western Australia, but when Margaret fell sick, they had to return to Victoria.[3] She was friends with Margaret Thorn who labelled her a "capable woman" referring to how she almost solely raised her children whilst her husband was away on union or political matters. Thorn recalled a story where a girl accidentally cut off two of her fingers only for Semple to sew them back on with thread for a full recovery.[4]
Political career edit
Semple served as president of the Wellington women's branch of the Labour Party, and was a member of the party national executive from 1930 to 1943.[5] Semple was elected as a Wellington City Councillor in 1938.[6] She lost her seat in 1941, an election which saw all Labour councillors unseated.[7] She was also a long serving member of the Hospital Board, sitting on it from 1933 until 1941.[8] Historians have argued that her own political contributions between the 1910s and 1940s were considerable, though heavily overshadowed by her husband's, who himself seldom acknowledged her efforts in any depth.[9][10]
Semple died in 1967 aged 91, Bob had died in 1955. She was survived by her four children, 8 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.[1]
Notes edit
- ^ a b "Wife of former M.P. dies". The Dominion. 6 September 1967. p. 6.
- ^ Hickey 2010, p. 34.
- ^ Richardson, Len. "Semple, Robert". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- ^ Hickey 2010, p. 144.
- ^ "Who's Who for the Elections". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 107. 9 May 1938. p. 6. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "Wellington City Council". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 115. 18 May 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "New City Council". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXXI, no. 116. 19 May 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ Hickey 2010, pp. 297–8.
- ^ Stace, Hilary (1998). "Janet Fraser - Making Policy as Well as Tea". In Clark, Margaret (ed.). Peter Fraser: Master Politician. Dunmore Press. pp. 57–66.
- ^ Hickey 2010, p. 298.
External links edit
- "Official opening of highway up Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington, 1939 by Mrs Semple (photo)". Evening Post in Papers Past. 1939.
References edit
- Hickey, Carina (2010). From Coal Pit to Leather Pit: Life Stories of Robert Semple (PDF) (Ph.D.). Massey University. Retrieved 17 March 2015.