Riddler, Thomas

Christ Church''s Web Site
224 RIDDLER Catherine
224 RIDDLER Eva Gertrude
224 RIDDLER Mary
224 RIDDLER Maurice Stewart
224 RIDDLER Richard Samuel
224 RIDDLER Thomas (Jnr)
224 RIDDLER Thomas (Snr)
247 RIDDLER Elizabeth
247 RIDDLER Elizabeth Mary
247 RIDDLER Henry
247 RIDDLER William

Marriage Details
1874/10888, Bride: Mary Hirst, Groom: Thomas Riddler

Death Details
1929/8249, Mary Riddler, Aged: 77Y - Date of Death 8/10/1929 from Death Registration

Hutt Valley Cemetery Record Mary Riddler, Date: 8/10/1929, Christ Church Anglican, Taita, Burial & Monumental Inscriptions, Reference: 224

Evening Post 19 October 1929
RIDDLER.- On the 8th October, 1929, at Wellington, Mary, beloved wife of Thomas Riddler, 69, Hutt road, Petone; aged 77 years.

Death Details
1936/21361, Thomas Riddler, Aged: 87Y - Date of Death 21/8/1936 from Death Registration

Evening Post 22 August 1936
THE Friends of the late Mr. Thomas Riddler are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral, which will leave his late residence, 69 Hutt Road, Petone, on Sunday, August 23, 1936, at 2 p.m., for the Church of England Churchyard, Taita.
W. HALL AND CO.,
Funeral Director, Lower Hutt.
Tels: 62-640 and 62-740.
-
AN OLD IDENTITY
MR. THOMAS RiDDLER
The death has occurred of Mr. Thomas Riddler, who was the oldest living resident born in the Hutt Valley, at the age of 87 years. The late Mr. Riddler was a most retiring man, but he was highly esteemed by all who knew him, and as a representative of Petone''s oldest family, he was an authority on the early days in the district.
Mr. Thomas Riddler''s father, William Riddler, came to New Zealand in 1842, in the sailing vessel Thomas Sparkes, in charge of a consignment of stock sent out by the Hon. Henry Petre, who had taken up a 100-acre block in Petone. When Mr. Petre gave up his holding William Riddler settled down on the main Hutt road, Petone, where Thomas Riddler was born in 1848. Part of the old house in which he was born is still standing behind the present dwelling. William Riddler planted some beautiful English trees on the property, and the combination with the native bush made the place one of the most attractive in the district. Some of these trees are still standing round the Homestead, but the greater part of the property has been cut up. When Thomas Riddler was born there were only four houses in the district. He was the first child to be christened in the English Church at Lower Hutt. He was educated at a private school at Lower Hutt, having, to proceed to school along a bush track. After leaving school, he helped his father at farming, and then was a buyer of stock for Beetham and Williams, Wairarapa. He was recognised as an excellent judge of stock. He used to recount that the wind was often so fierce on the Rimutaka Hill that he had to dismount from his horse to avoid being blown over, and stock used to be hard to catch after straying from the track on the hill into the bush. He used to say that there were no fences in the Wairarapa in those days. He used to make trips to Rangitikei to buy stock, and a number of times had to hide in the scrub and keep the dogs quiet for fear of being noticed by hostile Maoris. He took up several hundred acres at Tawa Flat, and farmed it until the death of his father in 1876. He then settled down on the old property in Petone. He was interested in the formation of Jackson Street. He formed the road through Campbell Terrace to the station. The land was so swampy that scrub from the Wainui had to be placed on the ground to prevent the metal from sinking. He retired about forty years ago.
In the early days he was one of the escort of cavalry for the Duke of Edinburgh on the trip to Upper Hutt. He was a member of the Oddfellows (Rose of the Valley) Lodge, being the oldest living member.
He is survived by an adult family of six sons and two daughters. He was married in 1873 (sic), and his wife predeceased him.
His funeral will take place at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Evening Post 25 August 1936
GOOD SERVICES
...
A motion of sympathy with relatives of the late Mr. Thomas Riddler was passed at the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening. "One by one the pioneers of the Hutt Valley and Petone in particular, are passing from our midst." remarked the Mayor (Mr. A. Scholefield).

Probate Thomas Riddler, Place: Petone, Occ: Settler, AAOM 6029 59538, Filed: 28/10/1936, Will, Archives NZ, Wellington