Sir Christopher Harris

Bt
Born
Christopher John Ashford Harris

(1934-08-26)26 August 1934
Wellington, New Zealand
Died26 April 2022(2022-04-26) (aged 87)
Masterton, New Zealand
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse
Anna Karen de Malmanche
​
​
(m. 1957)​
Children3
RelativesJack Harris (father)
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

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

  1. 1 2 3 Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Vol. 2 (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage. p. 1798.
  2. ↑ "Births". The Dominion. Vol. 27, no. 284. 28 August 1934. p. 1. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Import-export legend dies at 103". The New Zealand Herald. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "No fuss needed for Wadestown's baronet". The Timaru Herald. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Harris, Christopher John A, active 1958–2019". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Men of Bing Harris through 100 years". The Press. Vol. 97, no. 28587. 15 May 1958. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "SIr Christopher Harris foresaw culture wars". National Press Club. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 Burr, Lloyd (28 June 2016). "Paul Foster-Bell's campaign for 'Captain Cook Highway'". Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 Hubbard, Anthony (3 October 2011). "A lineup of the usual suspects". Dominion Post. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Christopher Harris obituary". The Dominion Post. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Official roll of the baronetage". Standing Council of the Baronetage. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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