WITHY, EDWARD (1844-1927) was born at Bristol of Quaker stock, and educated at the Friends' school at Sidcot. In 1858 he passed the Cambridge local examination and in 1860 was apprenticed to Richardson and Duck, shipbuilders, Stockton-on-Tees, where he rose to be manager of the yard. For some time he acted as inspector to the P. and O. Co., travelling extensively in the East. Returning to England in 1867 he married Annie Treadgold (Stockton-on-Tees), and in 1869 founded the shipbuilding firm of Edward Withy and Co., West Hartlepool, which prospered in the years following the Franco-German war. About this time Withy paid a visit to Australia and New Zealand, and on selling his business in 1884 he settled in Auckland with his family. (The purchasers of the business were his brother, Henry Withy, and Sir Christopher Furness, and the firm was later known as Furness-Withy.) Withy was an advanced Liberal, and one of the originators of the National Liberal club. He had been a follower of Alfred Russell Wallace until reading Progress and Poverty, when he became a disciple of Henry George. He gave evidence before several royal commissions and inaugurated in his yards premiums for good work. He was on the first undenominational school committee in West Hartlepool and a member of the local board of health. Withy was a keen advocate of modern and technical education. For two years he was president of the university extension association at West Hartlepool, and he delivered courses of lectures on shipbuilding. In 1887 he defeated Tole for the Newton seat. He did not seek re-election in 1890, but stood for Auckland City in 1893 with the object of promoting the single-tax doctrine. He was on the Parnell borough council (1894). For some years Withy was acting-president of the Auckland Anti-poverty Society (Sir George Grey being honorary president). He was president of the New Zealand Single-tax league and later of the New Zealand Land Values league. He wrote many letters in the press on single tax, an article in the Westminster Review, and several pamphlets on this subject and ground rent. He returned to live in England in 1912, and died in Jersey on 26 Mar 1927.

Family information; N.Z.P.D., 24 Jun 1927; N.Z. Herald, 27 Sep 1887, 12 Aug, 20 Nov 1893. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 266

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