OBITUARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11395, 12 April 1899, Page 6

OBITUARY.

We have once again to record the deaAi of one of the early, settlers in the person of Mr Richard Fry,' of Spring Bank, Wai-, kouaiti, one of the passengers to: the colony by the John Wickliffe. Mr Fry was born at Weston-super-Mare, Somersetshire, i and educated at Roekhpuse Academy, Yatton, some 12 miles from Bristol. He served his apprenticeship in Jfatton, and then! removed to Bristol, where'he'remained some.four years. When he arrived at 'Port Chalmers liG was engaged to build two, hoxises that had been brought out by Mr Garrick (tho lawyer). One of these was erected at the corner" of Jetty and Princes streets, and was occupied by Mr.W.'H. Cutten.as a printing office m after years. The other was a large framed house, and was erected at. the: corner. of Princes 'street anil ftattray street, and was afterwards known as tho Royal Hotel, which was kept by Mr M'Ddnald, another passenger by the John Wickliffe. Mr Fry was engaged by Mr John Jones to work at his settlement at. Waikouaiti, and in his employ Mr Fry remained for .17 or 1? years, building cottages on.allthat gentleman's estates, from Morrison's at Coal Creek to Cherry: farm. Ho also did all the carpentry work necessary at the homesteads. Mr Fry was a P.G. of the Manchester Unity' Order of Oddfellows, and was one of the founders of the order in Otago. Ho met witlt throe or four' other Oddfellows in Dunedin, and then obtained permission to open a lodge in the settlement, which was done at a meeting in the old Commercial Hotel, and the new lodge was named tho Hand arid Heart—now one of the most flourishing lodges in the southern' hemisphere. Mr Fry was married in March. 1850, to Miss Aguos M'Leod by the Rev. Thomas Burns, and had 'a family of two sons and'- three daughters. Mrs F.ry, it will be remembered, was killed by a tram accident some years ago iii ■ Princes street, Dunedin-. In the early days this lady was well known to travellers to "tho north. Mr Fry's house was. on the old track to Oamaru, and many a weary traveller has had cause to bless tho kind hospitality Mr and Mrs Fry were always ready to bestow. . . . ■ ■ . u