Mary Ruddock

Mary Ruddock (2 April 1895 – 27 June 1969) was a New Zealand businesswoman who ran a dressmaking business in Wellington from the 1930s to the 1960s. Early life Ruddock was born in Hastings, England, on 2 April 1895, one of eight children born to the Reverend David and Anne (née Lush). When Ruddock was eight, the family moved to Wairoa, New Zealand, and her father became Archdeacon of Hawke's Bay in 1907. After her father died in 1920, her mother moved the family to Parnell, Auckland, where they lived in Anne Ruddock's parents' home, historic Ewelme Cottage. Ruddock attended St Margaret's College, Christchurch and received awards in botany, needlework and class work. She also began to play the violin while at the school.