Rigby Wason

(Peter) Rigby Wason (1797 – 24 July 1875)[1] was a Scottish barrister and farmer,[2] and a Whig politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich in Suffolk from 1831 until his defeat at the 1835 general election. However, the election was declared void on petition,[3] and he was returned to the House of Commons at the resulting by-election, holding the seat until he was defeated again at the 1837 general election.[3]

He regained the seat at the 1841 general election, but that election was overturned on petition and he did not stand again.[3]

Wason married Euphemia McTier.[2] Their children included Cathcart Wason (1848–1921), a New Zealand settler and MP who returned to Scotland and became MP for Orkney and Shetland, and Eugene Wason (1846–1927), a lawyer and Liberal MP.[2] Peter Cathcart Wason was Eugene's grandchild.[4]

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"
  2. ^ a b c Pawson, Eric. "Wason, John Cathcart". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 162. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  4. ^ "Wason family tree 2". Retrieved 1 August 2010.[permanent dead link]