OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 17

OBITUARY.

We have once again to record the deaiK of one of the early settlers in the person o£ Mr Richard Fry, of Spring Bank, Waikouaiti, one of the passengers to the colony* by the John Wickliffe. Mr Fry was born afc Weston-super-Mare, Somersetshire, and educated at Roekhouse Academy, Yatton, somo 12 miles from Bristol. He served his apprenticeship in Yatton, and then removed to Bristol, where he remained some four years'. When he arrived at Port Chalmers he waa engaged to build two houaes that had been brought out by Mr Garrick (the 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 in. after years. The other was a large framed house, and was erected at the corner of Princes • street and Rattray street, and was afterwards known as the Royal Hotel, which was kept by Mr M'Donald, another passenger by the John Wickliffe. Mr Fry was engaged by Mr John Jones to work at his settlement at Waikouaiti, and in his employMr Fry remained for 17 or 18 year 3, buildingcottages on all that gentleman's estates, from Mowison's at Coal Creok to Cherry farm. He also did all the carpentry work necessary at the homesteads. Mr Fry was a P.G. of tho Manchester Unity Order ,of Oddfellows, and was one of the founders of the order in Otago. He met with three 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 H.otel, and the new lodge was named the Hand and Heart — now one of the most -flourishing lodges in the southern hemisphere. Mr Fry was married in March, 1850, to Miss Agnes 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 in Princes street, Dunedin. In the oarljr days this lady was well known to travellers to the north. Mr Fry's house was on the old track to Oamaru, and many a wearytraveller has had cause to bless the kind hospitality Mr and Mrs Fry were always ready to bestow.