Memorable Manitobans: John Henry Ruddell (1859-1906)

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John Henry Ruddell
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Harness maker, MLA (1899-1903), MLA (1903-1906).

Born in Nelson Township, Ontario on 6 July 1859, son of George Ruddell and Christina Stewart, he was educated at Brussels, Ontario. He then apprenticed as a harness maker at Blythe, Ontario. He came to Manitoba in May 1879 and established a harness business at Nelson. He then moved to Morden where he was engaged in the same business until about 1897 when he established the real estate firm of Ruddell, Pickel and Hobbs.

In 1881, he married Fannie L. Grummett (1857-1896). They had five children: Gertrude Ardell Ruddell (1881-1956, wife of Alexander Duncan), Harold Henry Ruddell (1883-1963), Bertha Lake Ruddell (1885-1962, wife of Norman J. Lawrie), Vera Pearl Ruddell (1888-1939, wife of Lorne Tweed), and Gladys Stuart Ruddell (1891-1980). After his wife died, he married Jennie Hunt (?-?) on 27 June 1899 at Winnipeg. He was for several years a member of the Morden town council and also was Mayor of Morden (1895-1898). A strong supporter of the Conservative party, he was the successful candidate for Morden in the provincial general elections of 1899 and 1903. In religion he was a Presbyterian.

He died suddenly in Morden on 17 April 1906 and was buried in the Morden Hillside Cemetery.

Sources:

Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People by Prof. George Bryce, Toronto: The Canadian History Company, 1906.

“Sudden death of J. H. Ruddell,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 April 1906, page 7.

Death registrations [Vera Pearl Tweed, Gertrude Ardell Duncan, Bertha Lake Lawrie, Gladys Stuart Ruddell], British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.

J. H. Ruddell, FindAGrave.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 20 March 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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