Edward Marsden Betts, 1839–1922

Edward Marsden Betts (1839–1922) was a Ryde alderman, mayor and respected local identity whose public service helped shape the municipality during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  He belonged to the long-established Betts family of Ryde, a family closely associated with the district's civic and social life. The middle name"Marsden" came from his mother's family, connecting him to another well-known colonial family