Thomas Arthur RYDER 1902 - (1970 ish) - more information (General)

by mjpurton, Wednesday, November 04, 2009, 17:55 (5572 days ago) @ pclark

Hi Pete,

Have you found out any more information about Thomas Ryder?

I came across your message while looking up references to scientific papers on fossil corals by T A Ryder in 1926-1927. I think this must be the same T A Ryder in your family tree.

I am currently working, on a voluntary basis, cataloguing a collection of geological specimens donated to the Gloucestershire Geology Trust by the Rednock School, Dursley. Part of this collection comprised thin sections of fossil corals (wrapped in 1927 newspaper) which had the initials of the initial collectors on them - SS, FBAW and TAR. I believe these refer to Stanley Smith, 1883-1955 (senior lecturer at Bristol University - try Googling Stanley Smith: Obituary: History: Earth Sciences: Bristol University), Francis Brian Awburn Welch, 1903-1987 (geologist with several publications on the geology of S W England) and T A Ryder, (joint author with Stanley Smith of a 1926 paper on 'The genus Corwenia, gen. nov'; try Googling 'Corwenia; T A Ryder' to find the reference).

My conclusion is that FBAW and TAR were probably research students together at Bristol University under Stanley Smith. I can find no further geological references for T A Ryder. Could this be explained by his entering the church?

My next discovery was from the Lydney Grammar School Magazine for Summer 1958 under the heading School Chess Club:

"The Club has history. It was founded in in 1934 and in 1936 membership numbered twenty-four. The first match was played by a School and Staff team organised by Mr B J Emery which included his son and the Reverend Dr T A Ryder.
In 1936 the Lydney Chess Club was formed by Dr Ryder, Mr Emery and Mr Pitt. Many of the school players in this and the club competed in the North Gloucester League".

Following this I found a web page for the St George's Mothers Union at Cam, near Dursley, in which it was stated that "the oldest recosrds of the branch date from 1937. The vicar (Dr T A Ryder) presided ... and his wife was a committee member. [I am unable to re-find this].

I have also checked the records of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club and have found that the Rev T A Ryder, B.Sc, Ph.D, of The Vicarage, Cam, Glos was recorded as a member for 1934-1941 and 1952-1956. I assume that this indicates a move from Yorkley to Cam and that the B.Sc and Ph.D were the result of his studies at Bristol University. My main interest in this period is the possibility that he donated the geolocal specimens to the Dursley Grammar School/Rednock School during this time. The evidence for all this is circumstantial but the more I get, the more I believe it to be true.

If Thomas Ryder stayed in the area, this would explain the recording of his wife's death in Stroud.

I think that this all adds another dimension to your relation and I would not be surprised to learn about more aspects of this remarkable man.

Mike Purton