Richard Meredith (27 January 1843 – 20 August 1918) was a
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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Member of Parliament in New Zealand. A teacher by training, he was a farmer later in his life. He lived in
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
and was a member of many public bodies.
Biography
Early life
Meredith was born at
Tullow
Tullow (; , formerly ''Tulach Ó bhFéidhlim/ Tullowphelim'') is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 4,673.
History
There is a statue of ...
,
County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the South-East Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow Cou ...
, Ireland, in 1843. He received his education at Tullow public school and was a schoolmaster for some years. Meredith emigrated to New Zealand in 1863, arriving at
Lyttelton on the ''SS Accrington''. After arriving he worked as a teacher until 1889 and then became a farmer at
Cust (then known as Moeraki Downs).
Political career
He won the
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electorate in the
1890 general election against
James Dupré Lance
James Dupré Lance (28 January 1829 – 28 March 1897) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Canterbury, New Zealand.
Biography
Lance was born in Boulogne, France. He first came to New Zealand in 1856 to visit his brothers.
He conte ...
, and was re-elected three times. In the
1902 election, he was defeated for the replacement seat of
Hurunui by
Andrew Rutherford (who was also of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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).
Meredith was a temperance campaigner.
Other elected positions that he held included North Canterbury Board of Education (from 1889, including chairman in 1892), and the Canterbury Land Board (since 1891).
He was a member of the Technical School Committee in Christchurch and later a member of the
Timaru High School board.
Family and death
On 10 April 1867, Meredith married Louisa Willis (1847–1929) at the
Durham Street Wesleyan Church in Christchurch. She was the eldest daughter of James Willis (1824–1866) who was the proprietor of the ''Canterbury Standard''.
They had four sons and five daughters before his wife left him, taking all the possessions and leaving just a portrait of him behind. Historian
George Macdonald
George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...
described his personality as "bombastic".
He died at
Waimate
Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main No ...
on 20 August 1918 and was buried at Waimate Old Cemetery.
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Meredith, Richard
1843 births
1918 deaths
New Zealand Liberal Party MPs
People from Tullow
Irish emigrants to New Zealand
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates
19th-century New Zealand politicians
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1902 New Zealand general election
Burials at Waimate Cemetery
Politicians from County Carlow