Meredith family of Altona
Frederick Walsingham Meredith married Georgina Ida Ribton
born 6 Mar 1860 23 Apr 1889 born 26 Jul 1865
Summer Hill Aberystwyth Irish Place, Kingstown
died 19 Mar 1924 died 10 Dec 1935
Shankill Altona
Frederick Walsingham Meredith born 6 Mar 1860 at 39 Summer Hill, Dublin son of William Rice
Meredith, a solicitor and his wife Isabella Agnes Standish. He was admitted a solicitor in 1882
and worked with R M Meredith and sons, solicitors and land agents. He married Georgina Ida
Mary Bianca (Nina) Ribton on 23 Apr 1889 at Holy Trinity Church, Aberystwyth, Wales.
Georgina was the daughter of Herbert Panmure Ribton, a civil engineer and Adelaide Louisa
Jebb Linde. By 1911 they were living at Rathmichael, all of their five children had survived and
Frederick was president of the Incorporated Law Society. Ardverna was erected for Frederick
Walsingham Meredith to a design by Charles Harrison Townsend, a London architect. Frederick
died 19 Mar 1924 at Lordello, Shankill and was buried at Mount Jerome. Nina died at Alton,
Foxrock on 10 Dec 1935, her daughter Doris the informant. She was buried with her husband.
1 Herbert Ribton Meredith born 8 Apr 1890 at Rathmichael Lodge, Shankill. He was
educated at Aravon school and graduated Trinity College where he was awarded the
large gold medal. He was appointed to the Indian civil service in 1914 and was
appointed an assistant magistrate and collector in the Oriosa division in 1915 and was
based in Cuttack. He married Lorna Avril Sandes on 6 Apr 1929 at Christ Church,
Bhaugulpore and they had four children. Lorna was the daughter of daughter of Robert
Dalrymple Sandes and Ruby Lamb. Herbert was Chief Justice of the Patna High Court
from 25 January 1950 until 8 April 1950. He was knighted on 6 Mar 1948. He died at
Bromley in 1959.
2 Richard Walsingham Meredith born 16 Mar 1892 at Rathmichael. He was a student at
the College of Science in 1911. He qualified as an engineer and married Patricia Dorothy
(Pat) Clear at Rathfarnham on 19 Apr 1926. Pat was resident at Janeville, Rathfarnham
and the daughter of Thomas Clear. Richard died 5 Dec 1971 at Monkstown Hospital late
of Capard, Cabinteely and was buried at Mount Jerome.
3 Raymond Carew Meredith third son born 13 Sep 1893 at Percy Lodge, Killiney. He
enlisted in 1917 and was appointed a commission as 2nd Lieutenant with The Royal
Munster Fusiliers He was a solicitor of 32 Molesworth Street when he married Alice
Maude Vivienne (Sylvia) MacDonald at the Registrar’s Office, Dublin on 27 Nov 1930. Alice
was a divorcee living at Cherrywood, Shankill and the daughter of John Craske. They had
one child and Sylvia died 27 Aug 1940 aged 36 at Portobello House late of Tinnahinch,
Plunket Avenue, Foxrock.
Raymond secondly married Dorothy Swete Rogers on 21 Jan 1942 at St Brigid’s Church,
Kilbride, Co Wicklow. Dorothy was the ex wife of Claude Rupert De Warrander Rogers.
Raymond died 10 Jul 1970 at Tivoli Nursing Home late of Tinnahinch, Foxrock.
4 Frederick William Meredith born 10 Jul 1895 at Percy Lodge, Killiney. He was educated at
Aravon School and won a maths scholarship to Bromsgrove School and graduated Trinity in
1919. He was a researcher at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough Airport. In
1935 he prepared a report titled: ‘Note on the cooling of aircraft engines with special
reference to ethylene glycol radiators enclosed in ducts’ for the Aeronautical Research
Committee of the Air Ministry. He married Margaret Gwendolen Barnard in 1935 in
Aldershot and they had three children. Frederick is best known for was later called the
'Meredith effect’ he proved that what was conventionally regarded as waste heat, to be
transferred to the atmosphere by a coolant in a radiator, need not be lost and that the heat
would add energy to the airflow and, with careful design could be used to generate thrust.
He was employed at RAE until 1938 and while there was much involved in left-wing activity.
He later confessed to having been ‘an agent of Soviet military intelligence from 1936 to 1939
through ideological motives.’ His wife Gwendoline also assisted a Communist election
candidate with his election campaign. He accepted a job with Smiths Aircraft Instrument
company in Cricklewood in 1938. He described himself as a physicist and scientific
Instrument maker in 1939. He was investigated by MI5 in 1948 but no action was taken.
He was under investigation again in 1951 by MI5 and a decision was made that he shouldn’t
be allowed to access any classified information.
He secondly married Clarice Cox and died in 1980 at Cheltenham.
5 Doris Guinevere Meredith born 15 Sep 1900 at Ardverne, Shankill. She married Desmond
Barry Butler on 29 Apr 1926 at the Church of St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater. Desmond
was the youngest and second surviving son of John P Butler of Clonard, Killiney.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - May 2024
Return to Altona page
Frederick Walsingham Meredith married Georgina Ida Ribton
born 6 Mar 1860 23 Apr 1889 born 26 Jul 1865
Summer Hill Aberystwyth Irish Place, Kingstown
died 19 Mar 1924 died 10 Dec 1935
Shankill Altona
Frederick Walsingham Meredith born 6 Mar 1860 at 39 Summer Hill, Dublin son of William Rice
Meredith, a solicitor and his wife Isabella Agnes Standish. He was admitted a solicitor in 1882
and worked with R M Meredith and sons, solicitors and land agents. He married Georgina Ida
Mary Bianca (Nina) Ribton on 23 Apr 1889 at Holy Trinity Church, Aberystwyth, Wales.
Georgina was the daughter of Herbert Panmure Ribton, a civil engineer and Adelaide Louisa
Jebb Linde. By 1911 they were living at Rathmichael, all of their five children had survived and
Frederick was president of the Incorporated Law Society. Ardverna was erected for Frederick
Walsingham Meredith to a design by Charles Harrison Townsend, a London architect. Frederick
died 19 Mar 1924 at Lordello, Shankill and was buried at Mount Jerome. Nina died at Alton,
Foxrock on 10 Dec 1935, her daughter Doris the informant. She was buried with her husband.
1 Herbert Ribton Meredith born 8 Apr 1890 at Rathmichael Lodge, Shankill. He was
educated at Aravon school and graduated Trinity College where he was awarded the
large gold medal. He was appointed to the Indian civil service in 1914 and was
appointed an assistant magistrate and collector in the Oriosa division in 1915 and was
based in Cuttack. He married Lorna Avril Sandes on 6 Apr 1929 at Christ Church,
Bhaugulpore and they had four children. Lorna was the daughter of daughter of Robert
Dalrymple Sandes and Ruby Lamb. Herbert was Chief Justice of the Patna High Court
from 25 January 1950 until 8 April 1950. He was knighted on 6 Mar 1948. He died at
Bromley in 1959.
2 Richard Walsingham Meredith born 16 Mar 1892 at Rathmichael. He was a student at
the College of Science in 1911. He qualified as an engineer and married Patricia Dorothy
(Pat) Clear at Rathfarnham on 19 Apr 1926. Pat was resident at Janeville, Rathfarnham
and the daughter of Thomas Clear. Richard died 5 Dec 1971 at Monkstown Hospital late
of Capard, Cabinteely and was buried at Mount Jerome.
3 Raymond Carew Meredith third son born 13 Sep 1893 at Percy Lodge, Killiney. He
enlisted in 1917 and was appointed a commission as 2nd Lieutenant with The Royal
Munster Fusiliers He was a solicitor of 32 Molesworth Street when he married Alice
Maude Vivienne (Sylvia) MacDonald at the Registrar’s Office, Dublin on 27 Nov 1930. Alice
was a divorcee living at Cherrywood, Shankill and the daughter of John Craske. They had
one child and Sylvia died 27 Aug 1940 aged 36 at Portobello House late of Tinnahinch,
Plunket Avenue, Foxrock.
Raymond secondly married Dorothy Swete Rogers on 21 Jan 1942 at St Brigid’s Church,
Kilbride, Co Wicklow. Dorothy was the ex wife of Claude Rupert De Warrander Rogers.
Raymond died 10 Jul 1970 at Tivoli Nursing Home late of Tinnahinch, Foxrock.
4 Frederick William Meredith born 10 Jul 1895 at Percy Lodge, Killiney. He was educated at
Aravon School and won a maths scholarship to Bromsgrove School and graduated Trinity in
1919. He was a researcher at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough Airport. In
1935 he prepared a report titled: ‘Note on the cooling of aircraft engines with special
reference to ethylene glycol radiators enclosed in ducts’ for the Aeronautical Research
Committee of the Air Ministry. He married Margaret Gwendolen Barnard in 1935 in
Aldershot and they had three children. Frederick is best known for was later called the
'Meredith effect’ he proved that what was conventionally regarded as waste heat, to be
transferred to the atmosphere by a coolant in a radiator, need not be lost and that the heat
would add energy to the airflow and, with careful design could be used to generate thrust.
He was employed at RAE until 1938 and while there was much involved in left-wing activity.
He later confessed to having been ‘an agent of Soviet military intelligence from 1936 to 1939
through ideological motives.’ His wife Gwendoline also assisted a Communist election
candidate with his election campaign. He accepted a job with Smiths Aircraft Instrument
company in Cricklewood in 1938. He described himself as a physicist and scientific
Instrument maker in 1939. He was investigated by MI5 in 1948 but no action was taken.
He was under investigation again in 1951 by MI5 and a decision was made that he shouldn’t
be allowed to access any classified information.
He secondly married Clarice Cox and died in 1980 at Cheltenham.
5 Doris Guinevere Meredith born 15 Sep 1900 at Ardverne, Shankill. She married Desmond
Barry Butler on 29 Apr 1926 at the Church of St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater. Desmond
was the youngest and second surviving son of John P Butler of Clonard, Killiney.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - May 2024
Return to Altona page