Mr Alexander Harper Langslow: (b 1897 - d 1965)
In November, 1947, Fred Ramsbottom relinquished the mayoral office to Mr Alexander Harper Langslow. He had already been on the Council for 12 years and served six more as mayor thus becoming one of the longer serving members of the council.
Alexander had been born and educated in Kirkaldy, Scotland, and started work in a linoleum factory in Dundee. A corporal, he was on war service as a driver in the Royal Garrison Artillery in Palestine. Soon after the war, in about 1920, he came out to New Zealand with his parents and siblings, to work on a farm in the Waitotara Valley. The whole family, Mr and Mrs W. Langslow and their five sons and four daughters emigrated to New Zealand. Their eldest son had been killed in World War I and their youngest was to die in World War II.
After the farm job Alexander went to Wanganui and worked in Hingston‘s Drapery and later Hingston and Langslow moved the business to Hawera. Alexander married Hingston’s daughter Hilda Daisy in 1922, and in 1928 Langslow set up as a draper on his own in Patea. His first shop was in Deane’s Building next to the bookshop and then later he moved to the block of shops by the Central Hotel.
The Langslow family consisted of two sons and three daughters, and they lived at 7 Essex Street, Patea. and the business was continued until his death in 1964 when it was sold.
Mr Langslow was interested in politics and stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Labour candidate in the early forties. He was a member of the R.S.A. and joined the Masonic Kilwinning Lodge in Patea in 1929. He was a singer at local functions and in his early days had been a runner, competing against the Springboks. In 1953 he was awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal. Alexander died in 1964 aged 69 and is buried in the RSA section of the Patea Cemetery
In November, 1947, Fred Ramsbottom relinquished the mayoral office to Mr Alexander Harper Langslow. He had already been on the Council for 12 years and served six more as mayor thus becoming one of the longer serving members of the council.
Alexander had been born and educated in Kirkaldy, Scotland, and started work in a linoleum factory in Dundee. A corporal, he was on war service as a driver in the Royal Garrison Artillery in Palestine. Soon after the war, in about 1920, he came out to New Zealand with his parents and siblings, to work on a farm in the Waitotara Valley. The whole family, Mr and Mrs W. Langslow and their five sons and four daughters emigrated to New Zealand. Their eldest son had been killed in World War I and their youngest was to die in World War II.
After the farm job Alexander went to Wanganui and worked in Hingston‘s Drapery and later Hingston and Langslow moved the business to Hawera. Alexander married Hingston’s daughter Hilda Daisy in 1922, and in 1928 Langslow set up as a draper on his own in Patea. His first shop was in Deane’s Building next to the bookshop and then later he moved to the block of shops by the Central Hotel.
The Langslow family consisted of two sons and three daughters, and they lived at 7 Essex Street, Patea. and the business was continued until his death in 1964 when it was sold.
Mr Langslow was interested in politics and stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Labour candidate in the early forties. He was a member of the R.S.A. and joined the Masonic Kilwinning Lodge in Patea in 1929. He was a singer at local functions and in his early days had been a runner, competing against the Springboks. In 1953 he was awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal. Alexander died in 1964 aged 69 and is buried in the RSA section of the Patea Cemetery
