HORTON, ALFRED GEORGE (1842-1903) was born at Hull, Yorkshire, and as a youth was employed on the reporting staff of the Daily Express there. In 1861 he came to New Zealand and served a year on the staff of The Press (Christchurch). He established the Timaru Herald (Jul 1864), which he edited and subedited for eight years, and then sold out to his partner. After a visit to England he joined Wilkinson in the Thames Advertiser and, removing two years later to Auckland, purchased the Daily Southern Cross from Vogel's company. At the end of 1876 the Wilson brothers, proprietors of the New Zealand Herald, negotiated a partnership with Horton, which involved the amalgamation of the daily papers and the weekly issues.

Horton represented the town of Timaru in the Canterbury Provincial Council (for a few weeks in 1869), and he was instrumental in getting Stafford to stand for the Parliamentary seat (1868). In Auckland he took no part in public life. In 1884 he visited London at the request of the committee of investigation of the Bank of New Zealand and secured more capital and the first steps towards reorganisation of the institution. He was for a time a director of the Bank of New Zealand Estates Co.; from 1890 of the New Zealand Insurance Co. (two years chairman); and for some years chairman of the local board of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia.

Horton married (1867) Jessie Haliburton Chisholm (Dunedin). She died in 1879. His death occurred on 11 Mar 1903.

Cycl. N.Z., ii; The Press and N.Z. Herald, 12 Mar 1903.

Reference: Volume 1, page 224

🌳 Further sources