15 Facts About Thomas Gillies

Thomas Bannatyne Gillies was a 19th-century New Zealand lawyer, judge and politician.

Thomas Gillies was born at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, on 17 January 1828.

Thomas Gillies was the eldest of nine children of John Gillies, local lawyer and town clerk, and his wife, Isabella Lillie, daughter of a Glasgow businessman and granddaughter of a Huguenot refugee.

Thomas Gillies then went to Manchester, where he worked for Robert Barbour and Sons, with his next brother John taking his place in his father's firm.

John Gillies senior was so committed with various duties that his health suffered and after long discussions, it was agreed to emigrate to Otago, New Zealand.

On 1 June 1852, Thomas Gillies married Catherine Douglas at Newcastle upon Tyne.

Thomas Gillies joined the practise of his father John Thomas Gillies and John Hyde Harris in July 1857.

Thomas Gillies was the Member of Parliament for Dunedin Country from 1860, then Bruce 1861 to 1865; two electorates in the South Island.

Thomas Gillies first talked about having resigned in public on 6 January 1865 but the resignation did not take effect until 3 March of that year.

Thomas Gillies then represented Mongonui 1870 then Auckland West 1871 to 1875 ; two electorates in the North Island.

Thomas Gillies was the seventh Superintendent of Auckland Province from 1869 to 1873.

When Thomas Gillies had visited Wellington, James Hector, manager of the institute, had suggested the appropriateness of establishing branches throughout New Zealand, especially in Auckland.

Thomas Gillies served as president of the Auckland Institute in 1869, with the transfer of Auckland Museum to the Auckland Institute in October 1869, as well as in 1873 and 1876.

Thomas Gillies contributed papers on scientific matters to the Auckland Institute and New Zealand Institute.

Thomas Gillies died in his home, Rocklands, in Gillies Avenue, Epsom, following an apoplectic seizure on 26 July 1889.