MOSS, EDWARD GEORGE BRITTON (1856-1916) was born at St Helena, the second son of F. J. Moss (q.v.). He came to New Zealand with his parents in the Zealandia (1859), and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School (1865-68) and at the Church of England Grammar School at Parnell. He was articled to Andrew Beveridge (q.v.) and admitted to the bar in 1877.

Moss practised successively for a few years at Greymouth, Reefton and Tauranga (1880), and in 1895 settled at Paeroa. Four years later he contested the Ohinemuri seat in Parliament against Jackson Palmer without success, but at the following election he turned the tables. He sat until 1905, when he was defeated by H. Poland (q.v.). He was a successful athlete in his younger days, and took an interest in volunteering. Later he made a study of the natural history of New Zealand and gathered a comprehensive collection of New Zealand shells. He was a Maori scholar, and wrote much on the customs and traditions of the race. Moss published in 1888 Native Lands and their Incidents and in 1908 Beautiful Shells of New Zealand. He practised later in Auckland, where he died on 9 Mar 1916.

N.Z.P.D., 10 May 1916; Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Cycl. N.Z., iii; Otago H.S. Reg.; Moss, op. cit.; N.Z. Herald, 11 Mar 1916. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 55

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