John Ryder was a merchant, shipbuilder and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He represented Argyle township from 1840 to 1859 as a Reformer.

He was born in Argyle, Nova Scotia

Argyle, Nova Scotia

Argyle is a municipal district in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.The district occupies the eastern portion of the county and is one of three municipal units - the other two being the town of Yarmouth and the Yarmouth municipal district.-History:...

, the son of captain Solomon Ryder. Ryder was involved in the West Indies trade. He held shares in the Yarmouth Marine Insurance Association. Ryder was a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

for Yarmouth and Argyle from 1834 to 1872. He died in Argyle at the age of 66.