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). and her father became Archdeacon of Hawke's Bay in 1907.

Ruddock lost both of her brothers in World War I: Edward died in 1915 and Walter in 1917.

In 1921, Ruddock went to England to study music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. On her return to New Zealand, she advertised in the Auckland papers as a violin tutor.

Career

In 1931 Ruddock moved to Wellington and established a dressmaking business called "Mary Ruddock Ltd" specializing in children's clothes. She designed the clothes and a team of seamstresses sewed them, with Ruddock checking every item before it left the workroom.

In 1963, Mary Ruddock Ltd ceased trading