The following obituary is from the
Wallington & Carshalton Herald – Saturday 08 February 1896, via the British Newspaper archive.

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Death of Mr. G.P. Bidder, Q.C.

Public references.

The inhabitants of Mission were profoundly moved on Saturday morning when they learnt
that perhaps the most distinguished inhabitant of the famous village, Mr. George Parker Bidder, Q.C. of Ravensbury Park, had passed away suddenly during the night at his town residence, Queen Anne’s Mansions. The primary cause of death was the formation of a clot of blood at the heart supposed to have been occasioned by some internal injury resulting from an accident in the streets of Manchester. He had been conducting an important arbitration case at the Assize Court in that city on the 9th of last month, and was going back to his hotel when he was knocked down and run over by a horse and van. The injuries received were not regarded as of such a character as to prevent his resuming the case on the following day, but at the close of the proceedings he was so exhausted as to necessitate his immediate return to London. On the 17th January he made his last public appearance in Mitcham at the inquiry with reference to the entrance to the proposed Lower Mitcham schools. He travelled to Mitcham
specially for that purpose, although he was then wearing surgical bandages.
After a few days rest he again resumed his professional work when he conducted the case
on behalf of the trustees of the Tower Hill schools in their claim against the London
and Blackwell Railway Company. These proceedings terminated on Saturday the 25th ult. and almost
immediately afterwards the effects of the injuries of the accident began to manifest
themselves more seriously. By order of his medical advisor he was compelled to go to
bed at the beginning of last week, and though to all appearances he was progressing rapidly
towards recovery, and the physician in attendance had given him permission to dictate instructions earlier this week concerning an important case, a sudden relapse occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, and before his medical advisor could be summoned the eminent counsel had passed away. His death was very pathetic, but quite peaceful. His devoted wife was reading to him as he felt somewhat restless during the night when Mr Bidder suddenly complained of a pain which he thought must be due to indigestion. Mrs Bidder hastily summoned the nurse and turned to give him a little stimulant when to her consternation she found that her husband had turned quite pale. A doctor was in the mansions and he was called and arrived in two or three minutes only to tell the watchers that he was dying. Mr Bidder, apparently hearing that, put out his arm and embracing his wife he died with his head on the shoulder of her who had so ably seconded the efforts of her honoured husband. On the news being telegraphed at Ravensbury Park it soon became known in the village the bell at the parish church was tolled and many of the tradesmen at once put shutters to their shop windows, and such marks of respect have been pretty general
until after the funeral. Much sympathy has been expressed throughout the week with Mrs
Bidder and the family. Miss Bidder, Mrs Devenish, Miss Minnie Bidder, Miss Ina Bidder, now in
Calcutta, Messrs George, Harold and Morris Bidder. The concert which was to have been
held at the Vestry Hall on Wednesday in aid of the new church has been postponed out of
respect for the deceased.

Mr George Parker Bidder was the eldest son of the celebrated engineer who bore the same name and who was known in the early part of the century as the calculating boy. The future lawyer was born in August 1836 and educated at King’s College School and at the Universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge and his close and persistent study at the latter university secured for him marked academical distinction, he being 7th Wrangler in the mathematical tripos in 1838. Called to the bar in 1860 his thorough grasp of questions requiring special knowledge and skill soon placed him in the front rank of his profession and before parliamentary committee he was frequently engaged as council.
He took silk in 1874 and shortly afterwards became a bencher of his inn, Lincoln’s Inn.
He was recently elected master of the library and was next in rotation for the offices of
Treasurer in 1897. For several years he had been one of the leading council at the parliamentary bar and his name had been prominent in all the struggles between the water companies and the London City County Council. In nearly all the important opposed bills he acted either on behalf of the promoters or for some of the opponents and in particular represented the interests of the Midland Railway, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, the Butte Docks Company, the North British Railway Company and a large number of water companies. The extraordinary calculating powers of the father were inherited in a large degree by the son who, it is said, could mentally multiply fifteen figures by fifteen figures and perform with apparent ease many similar feats. He has also been very successful as a cryptographer and published some years ago in one of the monthly magazines what is perhaps the only attempt at scientific method of analysis of ciphers. Mr Bidder was chairman of the Danish Gas Company, the Cannock Chase Colliery Company and the Sydney Harbour Colleries Company as well as being a director of the Rock Life Assurance Company and the West Lancashire Railway Company. In 1878 the deceased permanently took up his residence at Ravensbury Park of which he was the owner, yet having been acquired by his father the late Mr GP Bidder, CE. Mr Bidder’s residence in Mitcham was distinguished by an active and zealous interest in local affairs and the service he has rendered to the locality has been of almost incalculable advantage. Many years ago when the Brighton Railway Company promoted a bill in parliament for the purposes of obtaining powers to enable it to take a considerable part of Mitcham Common, Mr Bidder gave his services as counsel to the inhabitants
gratuitously to resist the application and worked so well for the cause that he had taken
up that the application was refused. After that, in conjunction with other gentlemen,
he spent a large sum of money in defending the rights of the Commoners against the attempted enclosure of common land at Bennington Corner in the well-known action of Bidder and Bridges, but in that case unsuccessfully. He was also prominent in other agitations connected with the Common and when the scheme for placing it under a Conservancy Board was propounded, was one of its strongest supporters. After public inquiry and in the face of much interested opposition, the Board of Agriculture approved of the formation of a Conservancy Board and Mr Bidder was unanimously elected the first chairman, a position he was peculiarly qualified to fill. With characteristic energy and zest he entered into a scheme for improving the Common and though his efforts have not always met with the appreciation they deserved at the hands of the people of Mitcham, no one who can remember what the Common was a dozen years ago and compare it
with its present state will deny that the work of the conservators has been attended with good
results. He, in conjunction with Mr A. H. Smee MRCS and others, successfully resisted attempts
to get the sanction of Parliament to schemes for extracting water from the Wandle by means
of waterworks and amongst his other appearances, in protection of the interests of the parish, may be mentioned his opposition to the scheme to place a huge cemetery just on the borders of the parish at Rosehill Sutton, which would have involved a constant stream of funerals through the parish and the strenuous opposition he manifested to the proposals of the Carshalton local board to obtain a site for their sewage out for works in Mitcham parish.
We’ve obviously obtained a lease of Mitcham Green in order that it might be preserved and regulated for purposes of recreation and the public advantage which has accrued can only be estimated by those who live in Mitcham. It has enabled cricketers of all classes to enjoy the national pastimes without less or hindrance. The policy which was pursued there was extended so soon as the larger area of the Commons could be dealt with. For many years Mr Bidder filled the office of church warden at the parish church of Mitchell and it was during this period that the beautiful east window, said to be the most beautiful in the country, towards the cost of which he distributed largely, was put up. Mr Bidder was also a trustee of Tate’s Alm Houses and at one time represented the parish upon the late Croydon Rural Sanitary Authority. He was a Master of Arts, fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and an associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers and an associate of the Institute of Surveyors. Mr Bidder has for many years held the commission of peace for the county and on the formation of the county council at once offered his services to his neighbours to represent them on that body. One paragraph in his address in 1888 is worth quoting now. He said one matter of local interest would at the proper time have my special attention vis the securing to our district more adequate representation having regard to its population and importance. You are perhaps aware at the recent meeting of the magistrates that quarter sessions I did my best to obtain the rectification of what appears to me to be the injustice which at present we suffer under from having only one representative allotted to us. I should strive before the next election to obtain a reappointment of representatives which would place us on a more equal footing with other parts of the county. Mr Bidder was elected by a majority of 150 over another old resident now for some years dead and that he did not forget his promise in that the records of the council will testify. Indeed this question of the unjust representation of suburban Surrey on the council was one of the points upon which he felt very strongly and more than once he referred to it and sought but in vain to persuade his colleagues to consent to a rearrangement. When the question of the future meeting place of the council came to be discussed he was perhaps the strongest advocate of the council chamber remaining in London. Holding as experience has since proved that there will be more difficulty in getting all the members to attend committee and council meetings if they were held in the country than there would be if held close to the terminal of the great railway companies and so easily getatable from all parts of the county. At the second election of the council in 1892 Mr Bidder was opposed by Mr George Parker, a socialist. The inhabitants showed their
appreciation of the difference between the merits of the two men by giving Mr Parker three votes and returning their old member with a majority of over 600. At the last election in 1895 Mr Bidder was returned unopposed. On the formation of the parish councils the deceased manifested much interest in the movement and besides attending public meetings where the matter was discussed became a candidate for a seat on the first council and being elected was asked by his colleagues to accept the position of chairman which he did and by his legal knowledge helped him to help to steer them safely and quickly through the difficulties inseparable from the establishment of a new body such as that. Prior to 1892 Mr Bidder had been regarded as a strong liberal but like many other good men he could not accept the home rule programme and at the time and at the general election of 1892 with other liberal unions in the division issued a circular calling upon his neighbours to support the conservative candidate Mr Bonsor and so to defeat the schemes of those who were anxious to bring about the separation of Great Britain and Ireland.