DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN SETTLER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1911, Page 9

DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN SETTLER.

MR. E. J. RIDDIFOm). • A well-known settler passed away at his residence at Longburn yesterday, in the person of Mr. E, J. Riddiford, J.P., who has for eomo time past been suffering from heart trouble. Deceased was the oldest son of the late Mr. Daniel Riddiford, who came out to Wellington in the ship Adelaide in 1839. He waa born at Lower Hutt in 1842, \yas the first child baptised in New Zealand by Bishop Selwyn, and was educated primarily in Wellington and secondarily at Morrison's Scotch College, Melbourne, On leaving school he became manager of his father's property at Te Awaite, and at his death also'owned large estates at Lower Hutt, Featherston, and in the Manawatu districts. He was at one time a member of the Wairarapa County Council, took a great interest in the first River Board constituted in the present Hutt district in 1899, and of which ho was a. member, aud in the early days served as a lieutenant under Colonel Gorton. Ho was also for years connected with the la.te Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association, of which he was at olie time vice-presi-dent. In 1879 he married the third daughter of tho lato Mr. Henry Bunny,' who was member for the Wairarapa and Provincial Secretary for the Wellington, Province. He loaves a family af three daughters — Mrs (Captain) Lindsay, and Misses Phyllis and Ngaire Riddiford — and three sons— Messrs. Vivian, Daniel, * and Eric Riddiford. Another son— Mr. Lionel Edward Riddiford — died recently in Australia. Tlie late Mr. Riddiford wa-s a man of remarkable physical strength combined with business capacity, and as a firetclass judge of land and stock he had earned a Dominion reputation. Ho began work in the early days of New Zealand, when the life of a settler was one long round of hardship, and ca-lled for strength and courage and ability to an extent which is n6\v scarcely realised.