The Hon. Henry John Tancred was a member of the Legislative Council from 1856 to 1866, and held office in three ministries. He was the second son of the seventh baronet of the well-known Tancred family, and was born in England in 1825, and educated at Rugby. At an early age he entered the Austrian Army and saw active service in Hungary and Italy. He arrived in Canterbury in 1851; two years later he entered the first Provincial Council, was elected its Speaker in 1866, and retained the office till the abolition of the provinces in 1875. Mr. Tancred's efforts in the cause of education were unflagging, and of great value to the country. He became the first Chancellor of the New Zealand University in 1871, and held that office continuously until his death in 1884. A sketch of his career is given at pages 66 and 67 of the Wellington volume of this Cyclopedia.