James Herbert Ferrier Dryden (8 July 1907 – 29 October 1974) was a New Zealand wrestler who won a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games.
 Dryden in 1937 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | James Herbert Ferrier Dryden | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 July 1907 Gateshead, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 29 October 1974 (aged 67) Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 4 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Relative(s) | Alistair Dryden (son) Murdoch Dryden (grandson) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editBorn in Gateshead, England, on 8 July 1907, Dryden was the son of Margery Dryden (née Waddell) and Herbert Dryden.[2] The family emigrated to New Zealand on the SS Westmeath in 1913, landing in Wellington,[3] and settling in Wairarapa.
Wrestling
editDryden won the New Zealand amateur wrestling championship in the heavyweight division in 1937.[4] He was then selected to represent his country at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, where he won the silver medal in the men's heavyweight (100 kg) category.[5] In 1938 and 1939, Dryden successfully defended his heavyweight title at the national amateur championships.[6][7]
Dryden later contested a number of professional wrestling bouts, particularly in 1942 and 1943, including against Lofty Blomfield and Ken Kenneth.[8][9][10]
Family and death
editOn 6 February 1929, Dryden married Lilian Anne Osborne at Carterton.[11] In 1940, Dryden married Lynda Evelyn Phelps in Tauranga.[2] Their son, Alistair Dryden, represented New Zealand twice at Olympic Games in rowing. Their grandson, Murdoch Dryden, was also a representative rower.[12]
Dryden's third marriage was to Mary Alison Weedin in Auckland in 1974.[2] He died in Auckland on 29 October 1974, and was buried at Purewa Cemetery, Auckland.[2][13]
References
edit- ^ "Saturday's wrestling". Evening Post. 12 October 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Herbert James Ferrier Dryden". Ancestry.com.au. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Victoria, Australia, assisted and unassisted passenger lists, 1839–1923". Ancestry.com Operations. 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ "The amateur titles". Auckland Star. 21 September 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "James Dryden". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "N.Z. titles". Auckland Star. 20 September 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Amateur championships". Evening Post. 28 September 1939. p. 19. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Wrestling matches". New Zealand Herald. 12 October 1942. p. 5. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "On the mat". Auckland Star. 26 October 1942. p. 5. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Wrestling matches". New Zealand Herald. 27 July 1943. p. 5. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Marriage search: registration number 1929/9254". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ Irvine, Peter (5 May 2011). "Older rowers pull their weight at Lake Rotoroa regatta". Wanganui Chronicle. p. A11. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ^ "Burial & cremation details". Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium. Retrieved 12 July 2017.