Frederick Alexander Whitaker (1 March 1847 – 9 June 1887) was a 19th-century member of parliament in the

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

region of New Zealand. Whitaker was born in

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

, Brazil, on 1 March 1847; he was the eldest son of

Frederick Whitaker Sir Frederick Whitaker (23 April 1812 – 4 December 1891) was an English-born New Zealand politician who served twice as the premier of New Zealand and six times as Attorney-General. Early life Whitaker was born at the Deanery Manor House, ...

, New Zealand's 5th

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

. He married Kate Cox, the daughter of Alfred Cox, at Riverslea farm near Temuka in

South Canterbury South Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River (the border with the Otago Region) to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the S ...

on 30 September 1879, three days after her 20th birthday. In the same ceremony, Cox's twin sister Marian married Francis Henry Barker, the fourth son of the late Dr Alfred Barker. He lost the for to Edward Graham McMinn, a ''"Greyite"''. He then represented the electorate from to 1884, when he retired having served as government

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

during his father's premiership. He committed suicide in the Auckland Club on 9 June 1887 triggered by losses from

land speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable in a brief amount of time. It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline ...

. He was given a private funeral and was buried alongside his mother in St. Stephen's Churchyard in Auckland.

References

1847 births 1887 deaths Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand politicians who died by suicide New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates 19th-century New Zealand politicians Children of prime ministers of New Zealand 1880s suicides British expatriates in Brazil Suicides by firearm in New Zealand {{NewZealand-politician-stub