OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1926, Page 13

OBITUARY

SIR. A. ST. GEOBGE RYDER,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, 4th November

Many friends, both in New Zealand and in this country, regretted to hear'of the death of Mr. A. St. George Ryder, who passed away at his residence, 13, Warwick road, Earl's Court, on 26th October. The late Mr. liyder had ,beon secretary and London manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company since 1918. He was a man of considerable experience in farming and commerce, and his death is a great loss to the company, whose interests he had over at heart. .

Mi-. Ryder waa born at Oxford, Canterbury, in 1564, and was the eldest son oi' St. George Ryder, of Carleton and Astrop, Canterbury. who was associated with the Rhodes family in the early days of the English settlement. He was a greatgrandson of Dr. John Dudley Ryder,' Archbishop of Tuam. After leaving school he was engaged as a cadet for some time in agricultural and pastoral i>ursuits upon his father's and other estates, subsequently taking a course in accountancy before entering a commercial firm. Ho was appointed an inspector, and later a branch manager in Otago for the Land and Loan Company, a position which he retained until 1807. During this period he carried on a farm on Iris own account, and in 1895 he floated the Otago Farmers' Cooperative Association, of which he was the first chairman of directors.

In 1902 he went to South Africa and joined the Civil Service of the Transvaal cirf Financial Comptroller and Chief Accountant of the Government Departments of Lands, Agriculture, Surveys, Irrigation, and "Water Supply, and Financial Member of the Crown Lands Board incorporated under the ''Settlers' Ordinance, 1902." Two years later he was in practice on his own account, and. then joined the firm of Messrs. Andrew and Thienhaus. His next move was to London, where he took up the position ot' general manager of the East Tilbury (Canada) Oilfields, remaining with the company until its dissolution. After leaving this company ho went to Russia a;? assistant-general manager to the Anglo Maikop Corporation, retaining his position in this company until the failing health of his wife necessitated his returning to England. On his return ho took up duties of secretary to the United Buyers, Ltd., and the Naval Construction and Equipment Company, commercial enterprises covering a considerable range of activities. During the war period he was a director and secretary-treas-urer to the National People's Palaces' Association, Ltd., an organisation engaged > chiefly in equipping canteens for war workers and munition employees. He relinquished his duties in this connection in 1918 when he was appointed secretary and London manager to the National Mortgage and Agency Company, in the service of which company he remained until his death. His deatli, which way peaceful, was due to pleuro-pneumonia, aggravated by valvular disease of the heart.

The late Mr. Ryder was twice married. His first wife was Ellen", second daughter of Mr. John Worgan, and :u'eco of the late Hon. J. C. Pharazyn, of "Wellington. Secondly, in 1903, lie married the youngest daughter of Mr. Sydney Woolf, of Capetown, formerly M.P. for Pontefract, Yorkshire. Much sympathy will be felt for Miss Vera Ryder, who has suffered a double bereavement within four months, for her moftier died on 10th July of this year.