Isaac Featherston

Isaac Earl Featherston NZC (21 March 1813 – 19 June 1876) was a New Zealand politician, and was known for his advocacy for the establishment of New Zealand self-government, and the importance of the provincial governments.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, he qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1836. He arrived in Wellington in 1841 on the New Zealand Company ship Olympus. On 1 September 1869, his third daughter, Kate, married fellow member of parliament John Cargill.

Featherston served in the first, second, third, and fourth Parliaments. He represented the Wanganui and Rangitikei electorate in the first parliament until he resigned on 9 August 1855, and then represented the City of Wellington electorate in the second, third and fourth parliaments. In 1858, he resigned his seat in Parliament and his Wellington superintendency, apparently wanting to return to England. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election in both positions within months.

Featherston was Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern Minister of Internal Affairs) in 1861, and a Minister without Portfolio from 1869 to 1871, having been appointed in both instances by William Fox.

Featherston was also heavily involved in the politics of Wellington Province. He was elected unopposed as the first Superintendent from 1853. He resigned from this post on 23 April 1858. He was re-elected on 28 June 1858 and held the post until 1870.

From 1871 he was the first Agent-General for the colony in London, the precursor to the High Commissioner.

A duel on 24 March 1847 was fought in Wellington between Colonel William Wakefield and Featherston (who was Wakefields's doctor) over a newspaper editorial of Featherston on the New Zealand Company land policy which questioned Wakefield’s honesty. Featherston fired and missed. Then Wakefield fired into the air, saying he would not shoot a man with seven daughters.

The town of Featherston in the Wairarapa is named after him, as is Featherston Street in Wellington.