Samuel Ryder - Patron of the Ryder Cup
Samuel Ryder was born in Preston Lancashire on 24th March in 1858. He was the son of a Manchester corn merchant and was educated at Manchester University.
Ryder joined the family business and worked for his father in Manchester. He came up with the idea of selling penny seed packets to gardeners, a plan his father had little time for so in 1895 he moved to St Albans in Hertfordshire where he later established the very sucessful Heath and Heather Seed Company.
In 1905 Ryder’s star was on the rise, a very successful businessman, he was elected Mayor of St Albans. Unfortunately his health suffered due to overwork and doctors prescribed fresh air and light exercise as part of the cure. He was encouraged to take up golf. Ryder at first spurned the idea as he was reared on cricket but later relented and engaged the services of Hill (a local professional golfer) to teach him the rudiments of the sport. Having had a taste of golf he then pursued it with a passion. Ryder employed the golf star Abe Mitchell as his exclusive instructor at an annual fee of £1,000. Ryder then undertook a rigorous golf regimen and practiced six days a week for a year at his home, Marlborough House.
By age 51, he boasted a six handicap and joined the Verulam Golf Club in St Albans in 1910. Within a year he was elected Captain of the club, and later held the title in 1926 and ‘27. He sponsored a Heath and Heather Tournament in 1923, which was restricted to professionals.
He became so enthusiastic about the game that he agreed to sponsor the Ryder Cup a solid gold trophy for a biennial golf championship between the best of professional golfers in the USA and the UK - this competition is know as the Ryder Cup Matches
Samuel Ryder died on Jan 2nd 1936 and is buried in Hatfield Cemetery.
Comments
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Marie Hoffman posted on September 2, 2006:
I read the brief biography of Samuel Ryder with great interest as I anticipate all of the Ryder Cup events.
Are you aware of the spelling and grammatical errors in the article?
Paragraph 3:
- rignorous (s/b rigorous)
- “Unfortunately, his health suffered from ill health”…how about, “his health suffered”…..I hope this is helpful. I hope someone cares enough to make the corrections.
Thank you.
Marie Hoffman
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John posted on September 3, 2006:
Hi Marie
Much appreciated - changes made as suggested…
Thanks,
John Prendergast
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John Farrer posted on September 22, 2006:
Very interesting article. I live in Bovingdon in Herts and we have a number of the Ryder family buried in our churchyard, as well as a Ryder memorial in the village. Are these Ryders connected?
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Jane Knight posted on October 11, 2006:
Looking at the history of the Cup, I understand that Joan Ryder was the last famiy member to attend in 1985, at The De Vere Belfry? I am surprised that the Ryder family are no longer present at the event.
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P.Smith posted on January 16, 2007:
i have a 1936 Ryder cup diary which was left me by my late father & wondered if their is a library or memrobilia section of which this may be of use
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Harold Cresswell posted on July 14, 2007:
Ihave in my posession a silver medal inscribed presented by Ryder&son seed merchants St Albans on the reverse is i believe a coat of arms of St Albans could you tell me the history of it
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Laura smith posted on December 29, 2007:
Samuel ryder is my great great uncle and we have tried to get tickets to the event. i am a smith but ryder goes back a few generations but there is no more ryders alive on my side of the family.
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dl struwe posted on March 7, 2008:
What golf club was Samuel Ryder buried with?
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jason l. posted on March 7, 2008:
he was burried with his 5-iron.
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