James Coates (parliamentary official)

Coates was born in Montego Bay Jamaica in 1815, the second son of John and Mary Coates, plantation owners.^[1][2] He is described as being "liberal minded", with a "tall, slim, gentlemanly demeanor, and no want of office ability".^[3] Coates practiced law in Jamaica^[4] and worked within the government of the British West Indies^[5] before leaving to settle in New Zealand.

On 2 March 1840 Coates arrived in Australia, having sailed from Bristol on the ship Chelydra.^[6] The Colonist newspaper reported rumours that Coates was related to Governor Sir George Gipps, and that Gipps had appointed Coates as the Colonial Secretary for New Zealand.^[7] Coates denied both rumours, stating that he had not had the honour of meeting the governor until after his (Coates') arrival in Australia.^[8][9]

At 25 years of age, in July 1840, Coates arrived in New Zealand on the ship Chelydra.^[10][11][12] Also arriving from England via Sydney on the Chelydra that day was Sarah Anne Bendall (1819–1892^[13]) who subsequently became Mrs Coates in the second recorded wedding in Auckland.^[14] The wedding took place in the drawing room at Government House on 24 June 1841, with the bride being given away by William Hobson, the Governor of New Zealand.^[15] After the wedding one of Hobson's five children was christened, with the newly married couple serving as godparents.^[16] These ceremonies were then followed by Auckland's first ball.^[17][18][19]

Coates was a signatory (as witness) to both the original Waitangi Sheet of the Treaty of Waitangi (on 5 August 1840)^[20] and the deed recording the purchase from Maori in 1840, by George Clarke on behalf of the British Crown, of the 3000 acres on which central Auckland now stands.^[21] On 19 April 1841, in the first public land auction in what was to become Auckland City, Coates purchased two of the initial 119 sections put up for sale. Then in the first sale of suburban and country land on 1 September 1841, he purchased a small farm (12 acres) in partnership with captain William Cornwallis Symonds.^[22][23]

Coates' career in New Zealand began on 12 July 1840 when he was appointed as a clerk (third class) in the office of the colonial secretary, reporting to the Colonial Secretary Willoughby Shortland through the Chief Clerk James Stuart Freeman. On 16 November 1840 Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson appointed Coates as his private secretary, a role which had previously been performed by Freeman as chief clerk.^[24]

On 3 May 1841 Coates relinquished his role as private secretary when Hobson (now governor, rather than lieutenant-governor, as Queen Victoria had by this time decreed New Zealand to be a separate colony from New South Wales, and had appointed Hobson as governor) appointed Coates as the first clerk of the executive^[25] and legislative councils.^[26][27] Hobson also appointed Coates as one of a small number of "Magistrates of the Territory of New Zealand" (Justice of the Peace)^[28] On 1 July 1841 Coates was appointed by Hobson to be the "Sheriff of the Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies".^[29][30] From 10 January 1842^[31] until his resignation effective on 23 September 1843,^[32] Coates was sheriff of the Central District of New Ulster (Auckland district). On 7 March 1842, as Sheriff of Auckland, Coates was required to oversee the first capital punishment in New Zealand.^[33] He held the roles of magistrate and sheriff at the same time as the position of clerk of councils.^[34]

When Robert FitzRoy took office as governor in late 1843 he appointed (with effect from 15 January 1844) Coates, together with the newly appointed Colonial Secretary, Andrew Sinclair, and Registrar of Deeds, Robert Appleyard Fitzgerald, as "Commissioners, pro tempore, to examine the public accounts of the colony".^[35] Coates performed this role for about a year, without additional pay, while continuing to hold the position of clerk of councils.^[36]

Governor George Grey appointed Coates as chief clerk in the office of the colonial secretary on 1 March 1846. After this appointment Coates relinquished his position as clerk of councils for a period, but was reappointed to it again on 1 October 1848, while still retaining the position of chief clerk.^[37] He continued to hold the positions of Chief Clerk and Clerk of councils until 1853, occasionally acting as colonial secretary when Andrew Sinclair was absent. When the Auckland Provincial Council met for the first time in October 1853, Coates became its first clerk.^{[38][39][40][41]}

Coates was the acting Clerk of the House of Representatives when it assembled for the first time on 24 May 1854.^[42] His permanent appointment was proposed by Samuel Revans, who said that "No man could be found in the country so well qualified for it as Mr Coates".^[43] After some debate about whether it was appropriate for the House to appoint its Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms, it was decided that the Administrator of the Government (Robert Wynyard, who was head of the Executive branch of government from January 1854 to September 1855, following the end of George Grey's first term as governor and prior to the arrival of Governor Thomas Gore Browne) should be asked to make appointments to these positions.^{[44][45][46][47]} The Speaker Charles Clifford subsequently recommended the appointment of Coates for the position of Clerk of the House, stating "I have the honour to recommend Mr Coates for the office of Clerk, that Gentleman having already proved his great efficiency".^[48]

Although Coats was only Clerk of the House of Representatives for five weeks, and died before his appointment was published in the Government Gazette, he oversaw the development of the House's first Standing Orders, which were adopted by the House on 9 June 1854.^[49][50]

Following Coates' death the House resolved that "200 pounds be appropriated as a donation to the widow and children of Mr James Coates, Clerk of the House of Representatives"^{[51][52][53][54]} (this was a significant donation, being almost a year's salary).