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OUR WRIGHT AND PRICE FAMILIES TO AUSTRALIA |
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WRIGHT FAMILY TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA Alexander James WRIGHT moved to Western Australia with his wife Rosina in 1893. Later that year their daughter, Rosina Annie WRIGHT died at Perth, aged less than six months. Their life will be discussed in more detail later in this article. Back in Tasmania Alexander and Annie decided to bring up their grandchild, Albert John WRIGHT as their own son on the death of his mother. Events turned bad at Beaconsfield and an extract from the book 'Town with a History - Beaconsfield Tasmania' by Coultman Smith describes the hard times, The slump which began in 1888 dragged on until 1894, and they were sad days for Beaconsfield. The company’s workforce was down to 72 men, and many left the district. There were fewer on the field now than in 1878, a year after the reef was discovered. The WRIGHT family moved across Tasmania to Zeehan where the silver - lead deposits brought much mining activity and employment for the family. Zeehan was named after Abel Tasman’s Brig ‘Zeehan’. Silver-lead deposits found in the district led to a rapid increase in population from 1882 until 1908 when the mines began to fail and finally closed in 1914. Between 1890 - 1910 many buildings were erected and remain today, much as it was in its hey day. Eldest son, John WRIGHT, remarried at Zeehan on March 14, 1895. His occupation was nominated as miner and age as 29 years. His bride, Mary Josephine GIBSON, was aged 22 years. The service was conducted in "the house of Ann Wright" and according to the rites and ceremonies of the Primitive Methodist Church, with Alexander WRIGHT and Ellen BENNETTS witnesses.
JOHN WRIGHT ZEEHAN TASMANIA C1895 Photograph courtesy Margaret PARKER (nee WRIGHT) Later that year, also at Zeehan, eldest daughter, Frances Jane WRIGHT, aged 20 years married William Thomas BROADHURST, 30 years, miner, son of Joseph BROADHURST and Susan MASSEY of Beaconsfield. The ceremony also took place in "the house of Ann WRIGHT" and occurred on May 1. Ann WRIGHT and the groom's brother, Joseph Albert BROADHURST, were the witnesses. It also was a Methodist wedding . The BROADHURST family originally came from Beaconsfield and also came across to Zeehan during the hard times. Mum told me that her Grandfather, Alexander Wright, used to read the bible after tea every night. He was a strict Wesleyan and wouldn't allow any activities on Sundays. Aunty Agnes was the more religious of the girls. She would go to bible classes and mum would go to the dances. Mum would get prizes for dancing. When mum got married and Grandfather saw her dancing he said, "Where did she learn to dance?" Dancing was deemed a sin by him. Alexander WRIGHT, after the marriage of two more of his children, was invited by son, Alexander James WRIGHT to go over to Western Australia. He left Zeehan in January 1896 and travelled with his grandson, Albert John WRIGHT to W.A. Albert was only seven years old and had lost his mother in Beaconsfield and his father was unwell in Zeehan with the ‘miners complaint’.
ALEXANDER WRIGHT WITH GRANDSON ALBERT VISITING W.A. IN 1896 Another rare find. This photograph was taken whilst Alexander was visiting his son in Western Australia. His grandson, Albert, travelling with him is aged 8 years and under the care of his grandparents. Alexander died later that year. Photograph courtesy Helen SPANNEY (nee WRIGHT) An interview with my grandmother revealed the following story, Originally Grandma's husband, Alexander Wright, my Grandfather, went to W.A. from Beaconsfield (Note: he was still at Zeehan) visiting his son and to get a job. He was going to send for Grandma. Uncle Alex had paid for him to come over. In the meanwhile my grandfather had died - he was a sick man. Alexander's death certificate showed the following details: Died 5 September 1896 at Lamb Street Perth. Occupation miner, aged 64 years. Cause of death, (a) Gangrene Strangulation Hernia, and (b) Exhaustion, with duration of illness, (a) 5 weeks and (b) 2 days. Parental details were unknown. He was buried on September 6, 1896 at Wesleyan Cemetery, Perth. (Note: The Old East Perth Cemetery). He was born at Beathe (sic) Scotland and lived in the Colony of Victoria for 46 years and W.A. 8 months (no mention of his years in Tasmania). His surviving children are listed as John 32 years, Alexander 30 years, Frances 22 years and Agnes 20 years. Alexander James erected a headstone, in 1897 for his father and his first three children, all dying in the preceding six years. (Eldest son, Arthur Alex born Strahan 5/10/1891 and died Strahan 13/11/1891. Eldest daughter, Rosina Annie, born Beaconsfield 17/6/1893 and died the same year. Second daughter, Ivy, born Perth 1895 and died Perth 1896). On July 26, 1987 I located the grave of Alexander WRIGHT and his three grandchildren at the East Perth Cemetery. The headstone has been extensively damaged but is now laying flat and pieces concreted together.
HEADSTONE ALEXANDER WRIGHT EAST PERTH CEMETERY JULY 1987 Photograph courtesy Allan CRESSWELL The inscription clearly reads: IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALEXANDER WRIGHT WHO DIED 5th SEPTEMBER 1896 AGED 64 YEARS ALSO ARTHUR ALEX, ROSINA ANNIE & IVY INFANT CHILDREN OF A.J. & R. WRIGHT OF PERTH NOT GONE FROM MEMORY NOR FROM LOVE BUT GONE TO OUR FATHERS HOME ABOVE
DEATH CERTIFICATE ALEXANDER WRIGHT 1896 Meanwhile back at Zeehan Annie WRIGHT was busy as a midwife for two more grandchildren born as a result of the two marriages the previous year. Firstly Albert John (Jack) BROADHURST was born on February 8, 1896 to Frances and William (Will), then Clarence Alfred WRIGHT born to John and Mary on June 18, 1896. Clarey was to be their only child. On September 7, 1897 John WRIGHT died at Zeehan. His death certificate gave his occupation as miner, aged 33 years and cause of death, Peritonitis and Exhaustion. His headstone is still clearly visible at the Zeehan Cemetery and reads, IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOHN WRIGHT BELOVED HUSBAND OF MARY JOSEPHINE WRIGHT DIED SEPT 7th 1897 AGED 33 YEARS. PEACEFUL BE THY SILENT SLUMBER PEACEFUL IN THY GRAVE SO LOW THOU NO MORE WILL JOIN OUR NUMBER THOU NO MORE OUR SONG WILL KNOW YET AGAIN WE HOPE TO MEET THEE WHEN THE DAY OF LIFE HAS FLED AND IN HEAVEN WITH JOY TO GREET THEE WHERE NO FAREWELL TEARS ARE SHED.
HEADSTONE JOHN WRIGHT ZEEHAN TASMANIA JANUARY 1992 Photograph courtesy Allan CRESSWELL Meanwhile Annie had left for W.A. on notification of the death of her husband and was invited by her son, Alexander James to live permanently in W.A. Grandma then went over to W.A. and Uncle Alex brought the house in Shenton Road Swanbourne for his mother to live in. Annie also came to be with her grandson. Albert John WRIGHT, now aged 8 years, who had lost both his mother in Beaconsfield and his father in Zeehan. Annie was to bring him up as if he was her own son. In 1897 Annie acts as midwife for the birth of Alexander's and Rosina's third daughter, Thelma Dorothy WRIGHT, born at Perth. Grandma Wright came over from Western Australia to nurse mum when having Jack, then with me, followed by Tom. She arrived too late for Leila and they had to get the local doctor. Grandma came over for all the births, as amongst many other things she was a midwife. Grandma was living in W.A. as her son, Alexander James Wright, was living there. Will BROADHURST and his family moved from Zeehan back to Beaconsfield in 1897 as the boom days were back on again. His wife's sister, Agnes Annie WRIGHT, remained in Zeehan. An extract from 'Town with a History' states: Electricity was wired throughout the mine in 1897 as the yields edged up and up, and the tramway to the battery was electrified also. The Beauty Point jetty was enlarged again, and there was a feeling of fine confidence in the air. At Beaconsfield itself, the population reached its peak in 1899 of 2,699, with seven hotels, eight boarding houses, five bakers, four blacksmiths, two doctors, two watchmakers, a solicitor, a tailor, fifteen general stores, six greengrocers, five drapers, a state school and four private schools. On February 15, 1898, at Beaconsfield, Lemona Ann was born to Will and Frances BROADHURST. Will was nominated as a miner. Later that year, on November 16, Agnes Annie WRIGHT, 22 years, married George Henry WILSON, at Zeehan. George was aged 24 years, born Westbury Tasmania and was the son of George WILSON, farmer and Mary (nee DELANTY) of Westbury. Their first child, Annie Mary Florence WILSON, was born at Zeehan on September 2, 1899. George and Agnes moved to W.A. soon after their child's birth and lived at Maylands. They are discussed later in this article.
AGNES ANN WRIGHT ZEEHAN TASMANIA 1898 Photograph courtesy Pat HEATHCOTE (nee GIRDLESTONE) On February 2, 1899 Anne PRICE (nee GOUGH) died at Beaconsfield, aged 80 years. Her death certificate nominated her birthplace as Liverpool, England and that she was the widow of James PRICE, miner. Her cause of death was Senility Diarrhoea. The informant was her son, George. Anne had become a grandmother and great grandmother many times over. When she died in 1899 my grandmother, Lemona was only a toddler. She would have been nursed by her great grandmother at Beaconsfield just as my granddaughter, Caetlin, was nursed by her great great grandmother, Lemona. Unfortunately Lemona could not remember being nursed by her great grandmother otherwise a personal account of the character of convict Anne PRICE (nee GOUGH) could be added to this family story. Anne born in 1819 and Caetlin born in 1988 both have a living connection with Lemona that spans 169 years. Our convict ancestors are not that far back in antiquity. Back in Claremont W.A. Alexander's and Rosina's second son, Aubrey Milton WRIGHT was born during 1899. On May 13, 1900 Frances and William's second son, Thomas William BROADHURST was born at Beaconsfield followed two years later by their fourth, and last child, Leila Frances, born December 11, 1902. Alexander's and Rosina's third son (and last child), Malcolm WRIGHT, was born at Claremont in 1903. From a total of six children only three survived to adulthood, namely Thelma (who never married), Aubrey Milton and Malcolm (who had no issue).
ANNIE WRIGHT (NEE PRICE) WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1906 Lemona recalls snippets from her childhood relating to the BROADHURST family and the PRICE family back at Beaconsfield. As mentioned elsewhere the BROADHURST family is discussed in greater detail in the article Our Broadhurst family. She talks of the PRICE family........ At Beaconsfield we lived in the main street. I can only remember one big long street. We lived in a wooden four roomed house. On the opposite side of the road was the Chinese vegetable gardens and where we used to get our fresh tomatoes, lettuces and things. The kids used to put a pumpkin on a post and light it up at night. The poor old Chinese bloke was terrified. On the same property where Uncle George Price lived was a small house where his mother-in-law lived, a Mrs Carr. She was a dear old person. She made beads, mats and things for kids. The beads were of many different designs to wear around your neck. She used to fascinate us. We always used to go over to grandma Carr. We were close to the Price family. Jack and I would love to go there. Evidently they had a circus in town at one time. When we went over there once we saw Stanley and Leonard fixing up tight ropes between trees and they would walk the tight rope. The boys were real daring. They were always doing all sorts of things like that. We used to think those kids were marvellous. They were a real family in our eyes. We were so afraid of our father, we were really frightened. Dad was a miner as was his brother, Uncle Joe Broadhurst. We used to have the time of lives with the Price children. I can remember one saying, “pass me the butter”. Then another saying, “if what?”, “if your not too bloody lazy”, was the reply. It was awful manners in those days. George Price wife was named Sarah. They were alive when I was young in Beaconsfield. The Price family lived on Hospital Road. I remember Eva, Amy, Elsie, Maida and Lilly, five girls. The boys were George (junior), Walter, Stanley, Wilfred Leonard and Aussie. Aussie was killed and Leonard lost an arm, in the war. In 1907 Grandma came over to Tasmania to visit us and she found us living at the Gibson's. Mum had cleared out from dad and was staying with Abner Gibson and his wife. Mum was going for separation and she said to Grandma, "I couldn't take any more". Grandma said, "well you can come down with me". She then took mum down to dad to try and patch things up. I can remember it as though it was only yesterday. The events that followed which resulted in the total breakdown in the marriage of Will and Frances are discussed in more detail in the article Our Broadhurst Family. The outcome, however, was that Frances took her children Jack 11 years and Lemona 9 years to W.A. accompanied by Annie WRIGHT. Lemona takes up the story....... After arriving in W.A. in 1907 I went to Swanbourne Primary School and then later to the convent in Claremont. Mum worked at cleaning houses and also for Uncle Alex as a nurse in the dental surgery. She also was his housekeeper at his residence, "Monripose". Mum was forced through circumstances to work there. We children were left with Grandma Wright. Grandma called me Nora, she couldn't bear Mona. Often I had to go to the chemist, the only one was in Claremont, next to the electrical shop. I often had to run all the way there in the morning to get prescriptions, etc. Grandma had boarders at the house. We stayed at Grandma's house in Shenton Road, Swanbourne until I was 14 years of age, then moved to Servetus Street, North Cottesloe. Frances returned to Tasmania in 1912 to collect her remaining children from her husband, Will. Mum later went to get Tom and Leila. Dad gave her Leila and mum said, "what about Tom?" Dad said, "be satisfied with one". She returned with Leila who was now nine years of age. A year later Tom ran away from his father in Tasmania and came across to his family in Western Australia. He was aged only 14 years. The story surrounding his 'escape' from his father is told in detail in the article Our Broadhurst Family. And another extract from Lemona's story..... Grandma Wright was a lovely old lady, she died at 73 years of age. She was a lovely person, she was like Aunty Agnes. Grandma was a nurse for Doctor Gillespie in Claremont. I was 18 years old when she died. She always seemed to work. Her husband must not have been a strong man. She did laundry work, nursing, had boarders and seemed to live a full life. She also brought up her grandson, Albert (Bert). Bert was the son of John Wright who died in Tasmania at a young age. Uncle Alex sent Bert to Scotch College, then onto Edinburgh where he came back with a few letters after his name. Uncle Alex had come back with sixteen letters after his name, including Doctor of Dentistry. Uncle Alex first home was where the Vet Surgery in Devon Road Swanbourne is. He then moved to what is now known as Lucknow Hospital, a large mansion, then onto "Monripose", then back to Lucknow. Aunty Rose died at Lucknow. She took a stroke and died in his arms whilst washing up after the evening meal. Uncle Alex was a lovely man. If he met you in the street (we were living around the corner from him), and he had his friends with him, he would excuse himself and come over to Jack and I and talk to us. On March 29, 1916 at Shenton Road Swanbourne, Ann WRIGHT died. Her death certificate lists her age as 72 years and cause of death, Malignant Endocarditis and Heart Failure. She was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery at Wesleyan BC plot 225.
DEATH CERTIFICATE ANN WRIGHT 1916
HEADSTONE ANN WRIGHT - MOTHER’S DAY 1986 Photograph courtesy Allan CRESSWELL I visited her grave in 1986. The headstone is inscribed, IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR MOTHER ANN WRIGHT WHO DIED 29th MARCH 1916 AGED 73 YEARS During her adult life Ann was subjected to many crisis situations and tragedies. She lost three young sons aged 14 months, 3 years and 5 years. Her eldest child, John, died aged only 33 years. A daughter-in-law, Florence, died after child birth, as did the child, Ruby Mary. Another daughter-in-law, Rose, died soon after marriage. Many other grandchildren also pre-deceased her. Ann was also left to bring up grandson, Albert John WRIGHT from when he was under two years of age. She also survived her husband by 20 years. On the plus side is that all her children and grandchildren were living in W.A. when she died. Even grandson, Clarence Alfred WRIGHT who was brought up by his mother in Tasmania arrived in W.A. during World War 1, met his Grandmother and other relatives, then subsequently remained in W.A. after the war. |
