Sir Christopher Harris, 3rd Baronet
Sir Christopher Harris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher John Ashford Harris 26 August 1934 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 26 April 2022 (aged 87) Masterton, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse |
Anna Karen de Malmanche
(m. 1957) |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Jack Harris |
| Relatives | Frieda Harris (grandmother) Percy Harris (grandfather) Matthew Taylor (nephew) |
Sir Christopher John Ashford Harris, 3rd Baronet (26 August 1934 – 26 April 2022) was a New Zealand businessman, and the third baronet of the Harris Baronetcy of Bethnal Green, County of London, which was created for his grandfather, Percy Harris, in 1932.
Biography
[edit]Born in Wellington on 26 August 1934, Harris was the son of Jack Wolfred Ashford Harris and Patricia Penman.[1][2] His mother was a feminist and writer, while his father was a businessman who succeeded as the 2nd Baronet Harris, of Bethnal Green, County of London, in 1952.[3] The baronetcy was created for Jack Harris's father, the British Liberal Party politician, Percy Harris, in 1932.[4]
Harris was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School from 1948 to 1952.[5] On 24 April 1957, he married Anna Karen de Malmanche, and the couple went on to have three children.[1]
Harris joined the family business, Bing, Harris and Co., a New Zealand general importing and exporting company established in 1858 by his grandfather, Wolf Harris (1858–1926), and ran it for many years.[6][7] He was also a director of Todd Corporation.[7] Harris was a long-time member of the National Party,[8] and was in charge of Stephen Franks' unsuccessful campaign for the Wellington Central at the 2008 general election.[9] Harris was involved in the "Vote For Change" group that campaigned against the MMP voting system in the 2011 New Zealand voting system referendum.[8][9]
An enthusiast of James Cook, Harris advocated, unsuccessfully, over a number of years for State Highway 1 to be renamed the Captain Cook Highway.[8] He was active as a yachtsman, and was a member of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.[7] He took his yacht Chinchilla out during the Wahine disaster in 1968, in an attempt to rescue survivors.[5]
Harris died in Masterton on 26 April 2022.[10] In 2023, his son, Andrew Frederick Ashford Harris, proved succession to the baronetcy.[1][11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Vol. 2 (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage. p. 1798.
- ^ "Births". The Dominion. Vol. 27, no. 284. 28 August 1934. p. 1. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ "Import-export legend dies at 103". The New Zealand Herald. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "No fuss needed for Wadestown's baronet". The Timaru Herald. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Harris, Christopher John A, active 1958–2019". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Men of Bing Harris through 100 years". The Press. Vol. 97, no. 28587. 15 May 1958. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "SIr Christopher Harris foresaw culture wars". National Press Club. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Burr, Lloyd (28 June 2016). "Paul Foster-Bell's campaign for 'Captain Cook Highway'". Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ a b Hubbard, Anthony (3 October 2011). "A lineup of the usual suspects". Dominion Post. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Christopher Harris obituary". The Dominion Post. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Official roll of the baronetage". Standing Council of the Baronetage. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.