Richard Meredith (New Zealand politician)

Richard Meredith (27 January 1843 – 20 August 1918) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. A teacher by training, he was a farmer later in his life. He lived in Canterbury and was a member of many public bodies.

Richard Meredith
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Ashley
In office
5 December 1890 – 5 November 1902
Preceded byJohn Verrall
Personal details
Born27 January 1843
Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland
Died20 August 1918(1918-08-20) (aged 75)
Waimate, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal

Biography

Early life

Meredith was born at Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland, in 1843.[1] He received his education at Tullow public school and was a schoolmaster for some years. Meredith emigrated to New Zealand in 1863, arriving at Lyttelton on the SS Accrington. After arriving he worked as a teacher until 1889 and then became a farmer at Cust (then known as Moeraki Downs).[1][2]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1890–1893 11th Ashley Liberal
1893–1896 12th Ashley Liberal
1896–1899 13th Ashley Liberal
1899–1902 14th Ashley Liberal

He won the Ashley electorate in the 1890 general election against James Dupré Lance,[3] and was re-elected three times. In the 1902 election, he was defeated for the replacement seat of Hurunui by Andrew Rutherford (who was also of the Liberal Party).[4] Meredith was a temperance campaigner.[2][5]

Other elected positions that he held included North Canterbury Board of Education (from 1889, including chairman in 1892), and the Canterbury Land Board (since 1891).[2] He was a member of the Technical School Committee in Christchurch and later a member of the Timaru High School board.[5]

Family and death

On 10 April 1867, Meredith married Louisa Willis (1847–1929) at the Durham Street Wesleyan Church in Christchurch.[6] She was the eldest daughter of James Willis (1824–1866) who was the proprietor of the Canterbury Standard.[2] They had four sons and five daughters before his wife left him, taking all the possessions and leaving just a portrait of him behind. Historian George Macdonald described his personality as "bombastic".[7] He died at Waimate on 20 August 1918[8] and was buried at Waimate Old Cemetery.[9]

Notes
  1. Hamer 1988, p. 366.
  2. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Ashley". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  3. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  4. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 219. OCLC 154283103.
  5. Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : M–Addenda (PDF). Vol. II. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. p. 81.
  6. "Marriage". The Press. Vol. XI, no. 1381. 11 April 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. Macdonald, George. "Richard Meredith". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  8. "A useful career". Timaru Herald. 22 August 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  9. "Funeral notice". Waimate Daily Advertiser. Vol. XVIII, no. 945. 21 August 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 22 December 2020.

References
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