Richard Meredith (27 January 1843 – 20 August 1918) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. A teacher by training, he was a farmer later in his life. He lived in Canterbury and was a member of many public bodies.
Meredith was born at Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland, in 1843.[1] 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).[1][2]
He won the Ashley electorate in the 1890 general election against James Dupré Lance,[3] 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).[4] Meredith was a temperance campaigner.[2][5]
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).[2] He was a member of the Technical School Committee in Christchurch and later a member of the Timaru High School board.[5]
On 10 April 1867, Meredith married Louisa Willis (1847–1929) at the Durham Street Wesleyan Church in Christchurch.[6] She was the eldest daughter of James Willis (1824–1866) who was the proprietor of the Canterbury Standard.[2] 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 described his personality as "bombastic".[7] He died at Waimate on 20 August 1918[8] and was buried at Waimate Old Cemetery.[9]
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