James Michael Liston CMG (1881 - 1976)

Born 9 Jun 1881 in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Died 8 Jul 1976 at age 95 in Auckland, New Zealand

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Biography

James Liston CMG has Irish ancestors.

James Liston CMG is Notable.

James was born in 1881. He was the son of a hotel keeper, James Liston, and his wife Mary Sullivan, both from Ireland. He was one of 5 children.

He was educated at Christian Brothers' School, Dunedin. At the age of 12 in 1893 he began his training for the priesthood at St Patrick's Seminary, Manly, Sydney. He later attended Holy Cross College, Clonliffe, Dublin (1897–1900), and then went on to the Irish College in Rome from which he graduated in 1903 with a doctorate of divinity. He attended Kavanagh College (date?).

He became a priest on 31 January 1904, having been ordained by Bishop Verdon in St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin. It is said that the Bishop had a great deal of influence on his career as a priest, particularly in the early years.

Information from Electoral Rolls and Passenger lists:

• Fact: Immigration (Apr 1926) Seattle, Washington
• Fact: Immigration (1926) Vancouver, British Columbia
• Fact: Emigration (1926) Auckland, New Zealand
• Fact: Residence (1905-1906) Taieri, Otago, New Zealand
• Fact: Residence (1926) England
• Fact: Residence Auckland, New Zealand

He was a defendent in a sedition trial in 1922 following statements he made during his St Patrick's Day address in the Auckland Town Hall. He was acquitted but censured.

James Liston was the 7th Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand for 41 years (since 1929) and was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.

In 1944, he ordained the first Maori priest, Rev Wiremu Te Awhitu.

He passed away in 1976. He died at Mater Hospital, the hospital he had presided over the opening of in 1936.

Sources

• Wikipedia article on James Liston
• New Zealand Birth Index - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Birth Index, 1840-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Michael James Liston; Birth Date: Jul-Aug-Sep 1881; Registration Place: Dunedin, New Zealand; Folio Number: 3024
• New Zealand Officiating Minsters List - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Officiating Ministers, 1882-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Name: Very Reverend James Michael Liston; Residence Date: 27 Jan 1920; Residence Place: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand; Church: Roman Catholic Church
• New Zealand Who's Who - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Who's Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific, 1908, 1925, 1938 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Right Reverend James Michael Liston Doctor of Divinity; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 1881; Birth Place: Dunedin, New Zealand; Residence Place: Auckland, New Zealand; Father: James Michael Liston; Mother: Mary Liston [Mary Sullivan]
• Washington Passenger & Crew Lists - National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Seattle, Washington; NAI Number: 4449160; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1383; Roll Number: 115. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Washington, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. Name: James Liston; Gender: Male; Nationality: Irish; Arrival Age: 44; Birth Date: 1882; Birth Place: Dunedin, New Zealand; Last Residence: England; Departure Place: Auckland, New Zealand; Arrival date: Apr 1926; Arrival Place: Seattle, Washington; Other Possible Places: Vancouver, British Columbia; Ship Name: Aorangi; Line Number: 15