Congregational Memorial Hall Chairman in 1972.
Opened the department store Riceman's in Canterbury in 1962. His son David later took it over.
""My Road to Canterbury" is the title of Fred Riceman's autobiography published to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Riceman's department store in Canterbury , Fred Riceman is a U. R. C. {United Reform Church} layman who has given considerable service to the church at many levels but supremely as a Governor of the Memorial Hall Trust from 1961 and then {as} its chairman. He took the lead in negotiating a deal which provided for a new building on the site of the former Congregational Union Office and an income for the Memorial Hall Trust which is considerable.
"That only takes one chapter of the book however, whose main story is of Fred's apprenticeship and experiences in the retail distribution trade; his wartime experiences commanding air sea rescue launches around the coasts of Britain; his post-war struggles in going-it-alone in three Kent towns, and his final entry into Canterbury where he and his family established a large, and now flourishing, department store.
"This book highlights the integrity, determination and imagination of a Christian person who has often served without counting the cost to himself.
"My road to Canterbury by Fred Riceman is available from Riceman's (Canterbury) pp199, at £5. 95."
Source: , , .
Frederick Henry Alfred Reissmann was born on 15 September 1904, the eldest of the three children of The Reverend Alfred Theodore Reissman (1876-1959) and Gertrude Nettie Reissmann née Sage (1874-1969). His birth was registered in the York Registration District, Yorkshire East Riding.
He is shown as aged 6 years on the census return form completed by his father on 2 April 1911. He was living in an eleven roomed property at Grasmere, Guildhill Road, Southbourne, Christchurch, Hampshire (now Dorset), with his parents and his brother, Howard Sage Reissmann (1907-2005), together with a cook and a nurse. His father described himself as Congregational Minister.
His paternal grandparents had emigrated from Saxony, Germany and became naturalised as British in 1876. The family decided during World War One to anglicise their surname to Riceman.
He was described as aged 16 years, 9 months and a pupil in whole time education, boarding at Taunton School, Fairwater, Taunton, Somerset, on the census return form completed by his headmaster on 19 June 1921. His parents and his sister, Dora Frances Riceman (b.1917) were listed on their census return form at 16 Buchanan Avenue, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset).
He was shown as aged 25 years and a draper living in Browning Avenue, Boscombe, Hampshire (now Dorset) on the manifest of the SS Arcadian of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, on an Atlantic Islands cruise that departed from Southampton, Hampshire, on 17 May 1929.
On 15 May 1936 he is shown as aged 31 years and a director who resided at 34 Florence Road, Boscombe, Hampshire (now Dorset), on the manifest of the SS Berengaria of the Cunard White Star Limited line that arrived in Southampton. He had been travelling cabin class from New York, USA
He married Roberta Elizabeth Howell (1913-2002) in the 3rd quarter of 1936 in the Bournemouth Registration District, Hampshire (now Dorset). They were to have three children: David F. Riceman (1938-2024); Jonathan Riceman (b.1940) and Elizabeth Riceman (b.1945).
In the England and Wales Register that was compiled on 29 September 1939 he was described as a company and merchandise director at Bealesons of Bournemouth. He was living at The Moorings, Dudsbury Road, West Parley, Ferndown, Dorset, with his wife and their son.
On 13 May 1942 he was appointed as an Acting Pilot Officer on probation (emergency), service number 119993, in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Electoral registers from 1947 to 1950 list him and his wife at 100 Woodcote Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire.
The Canterbury area (Kent) telephone directory in 1954 lists him as Riceman Fred, Felder House, Worth...Tel: Sandwich 3076. They also list his stores: Ricemans Ltd., Drapers & Furnishers, High Road, Deal and at 117/119 High Street, Herne Bay; Ricemans (Maidstone) Ltd., Drapers, 7 King Street, Maidstone and Ricemans (Whitstable) Ltd., Drapers, 51-55 High Street, Whitstable. Telephone directories continued to list him at Felder House, Worth, until 1980, but from 1982 he was shown at St Marys House, Worth.
He is recorded as Fred Riceman of Felder House, Worth, Deal, Kent and a retailer on the manifest of the RMMV Capetown Castle of the Union Castle Mail Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., that arrived on 25 March 1955 in Southampton. He and his wife had been travelling 1st class from Durban, South Africa.
His death was registered as aged 91 years in December 1995 in the Thanet Registration District, Kent.
He is shown as 'FRED RICEMAN' on the rebuilding commemorative stone on the Congregational Memorial Hall at 5 Farrington Street, Fleet Place, London, EC4.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
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