Jim Thorn

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Jim Thorn
Jim Thorn.jpg
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Thames
In office
1935 – 1946
Preceded by Albert Samuel
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
9th President of the Labour Party
In office
1929–1930
Vice President John Archer
Leader Harry Holland
Preceded by John Archer
Succeeded by Rex Mason
Personal details
Born 1 June 1882
Christchurch
Died 21 November 1956
Thames
Nationality New Zealand
Political party Labour Party
Other political
affiliations		 IPLL
Social Democratic
Spouse(s) Margaret Thorn
Profession Journalist
Religion Presbyterian
Military service
Allegiance New Zealand Army
Years of service 1900-01
Rank Army-GBR-OR-03.svg Bugler
Battles/wars Boer War

James (Jim) Thorn (1 June 1882 – 21 November 1956) was a New Zealand politician and trade unionist. He was an organiser and candidate for the Independent Political Labour League, Social Democratic Party then the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life

Thorn was born in Christchurch, educated at Christchurch Boys' High School. He worked in the Addington Railway Workshops and as a journalist. Thorn was a bugler in the third New Zealand Contingent to the Boer War in 1900–1901; the experience turned him into a pacifist.[1] He was engaged in trade union and party activity, including 1909–1913 in England and Scotland.

He unsuccessfully stood for the Independent Political Labour League in the Christchurch South electorate in the 1905 and 1908 election. In 1907–08, he was President of the Independent Political Labour League.[1] In 1909, he went to England and then Scotland and worked for labour parties there.[2]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1935–1938 25th Thames Labour
1938–1943 26th Thames Labour
1943–1946 27th Thames Labour

In 1914, he moved to Palmerston North and unsuccessfully stood in the 1914 election in the Palmerston electorate representing the new Social Democratic Party against the incumbent David Buick and two others, with Buick getting elected.[1][3]

He met his future wife while living in Palmerston North; Margaret Anderson (1897–1969), 15 years his junior, who had joined the Social Democratic Party with her father. The Thorns married on 8 December 1917 in Wellington.[4] He was imprisoned for opposing conscription in World War I.[1]

He was president of the Labour Party (1929–1931), and vice-president at various times (1925–1927; 1928–1929; 1936–1938), and national secretary (1932–1936).[5]

He unsuccessfully stood in the Otaki electorate in the 1931 election.[2] He represented the electorate of Thames from 1935 to 1946, when the seat was abolished.[6] In the 1946 election, he contested the Otaki electorate again, but was beaten by National's James Joseph Maher.[7]

Later life

From 1947 to 1950 he was High Commissioner to Canada, and was President of UNESCO in 1949.[2] He died in 1956 and his ashes were buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington.[8]

References

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External links

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Thames
1935–1946		 Constituency abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by President of the Labour Party
1929–1931		 Succeeded by
Rex Mason
Preceded by Secretary of the Labour Party
1932–1936		 Succeeded by
David Wilson
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