Rutherford Waddell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Between 1850 and 1852 Ballyroney, County Down, Ireland |
| Died | 16 April 1932 Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Years active | 1877–1919 |
| Known for | Presbyterian minister, social reformer and writer |
| Spouse(s) | Kathleen Maud Ashton Newman (1877–1920) Christabel Duncan (1923–1932) |
| Children | A son who died in infancy Muriel Alice Newman |
| Parent(s) | Hugh Waddell and Margaret Reid[1] |
| Relatives | Brother of Hugh Waddell Mary Waddell William Waddell Thomas Mayne Waddell Helena Waddell Jane Waddell Lyons Waddell[1] |
Rutherford Waddell (1850–1932) was a notable New Zealand Presbyterian minister, social reformer and writer. He was born in Ireland and after failing to finding a position as a missionary or a minister Waddell and his wife migrated to New Zealand in 1877.[2] Settling in Dunedin he led St Andrew's Presbyterian Church for forty years from 1879 to 1919. An important liberalizing influence in the Presbyterian church in New Zealand he was an active believer in the value of the ministry to promote social justice. This led him to oversee the setting up a mission hall, savings bank, free library and free kindergarten within his parish, as well as promoting the founding of a variety of cultural and sporting groups.[3]
Waddell's most notable accomplishment in nineteenth-century New Zealand, however, was his crusade against sweat shops. In October 1888, his sermon "On the sin of cheapness", stirred many of the local community into action, which lead to the establishment in 1890 of a royal commission on sweating. Its subsequent recommendations formed the basis of many of the country's social reforms of the following decade.[3] Waddell was a believer in the value of trade unions, and became the first president of the Tailoresses' Union of New Zealand in July 1889.