OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 May 1939, Page 2

OBITUARY

MR HENRY RICHARDS, OF FERNTOWN The death has occurred of Mr John Henry Richards, of Ferntown, at the age of 86 years. Born in Penzance. Cornwal, in 1853. at the age of 20 years Mr Richards arrived in Wellington in a sailing ship. He worked on the Rimutaka Ranges road for several months before transferring to Ferntown to engage in coal mining. He later took up farm land in Ferntown and in 1881 married Miss Amelia Ellis, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs John Ellis, early pioneers of the Collingwood district. Mr Richards followed the occupation of farming and road contracting and was a member of one of the early Road Boards and of the County Council. Later he transferred to Patarau River where he took up farm land in conjunction with his elder sons, Messrs J. and E. Richards. Nine years ago Mr Richards visited his sister relatives in Yakima, Washington, U.S.A., and in Cornwall, England For the last few years Mr Richards lived in retirement at Ferntown. Deceased, Mr J. Richards and Mr E. Richards had the first contract for carting quartz to the Taitapu and Golden Ridge batteries, Westhaven, in the 1890’s.

Mr Richards who was a great nephew of Sir Humphrey Davy, the scientist and inventor, was predeceased by his wife 11 years ago, and leaves a family of three daughters and three sons—Messrs Jack, Edwin and Gilbert Richards (Patarau river), Mrs H. Davis (Te Awamutu), Mrs G. Lewis (Kaiponga) and Mrs P. G. Fish (Rockville).