SANDFORD, EBENEZER (1846-97) was born in England and trained as a compositor on the London Echo, of which his father was foreman. He came to Otago in 1872, worked on the Guardian as compositor, and was part owner of the Arrow Observer (Arrowtown) until it was burnt out (1883), when he moved to Invercargill and thence to Christchurch. There he was a compositor on the staff of the Lyttelton Times. A strong Labour advocate, he was one of the delegates sent to Wellington during the strikes of 1890-91, and at the end of 1891 he was elected to Parliament for the City of Christchurch (when Sir Westby Perceval retired). He was one of the first batch of Labour members elected. He was defeated at the general election of 1893 and did not stand again, being afterwards appointed to the office of the public works department in Christchurch. Sandford was a founder of the Christchurch typographical association, and a president of the Canterbury trades and labour council. He died on 17 Dec 1897.

Parltry Record; Drummond; Otago Daily Times, 2 Nov 1891; Lyttelton Times, 18 Dec 1897. Portrait: Parliament House

Reference: Volume 2, page 140

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