Mr. William Calvert, a Member of the first Christchurch City Council, was born in Surrey, England, in 1817, and educated at private schools in his native city. He arrived at Lyttelton in 1859, and began business as a tinsmith and ironmonger in Victoria Street, Christchurch. Mr. Calvert afterwards removed to the Triangle, where he carried on his business till his death nineteen years after his arrival in New Zealand. He was an active member of the Wesleyan Church, and acted as one of its local preachers.