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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: rebelsher on Friday 02 January 09 18:48 GMT (UK)
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Hi everyone- Could someone please check the 1895, 1900, 1903 Queensland Electoral Rolls for Robert James Wright? Any info on him in these would be appreciated.
I know that Worldvitalrecords.com has all three rolls if anyone belongs or can check somewhere else.
Thanks so much,
Sherry H.
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Dear Sherry,
Robert James Wright is listed multiple times in the electoral rolls.....can you tell us who he was married to so we can make sure we have the right Wright ;D ;D ;D....also if you know his parents name as in one of the early rolls there is a family of Wrights listed.
Cheers
Susie
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Hi Susie - I believe Robert James Wright came from Ireland by himself, perhaps around 1880. I don't know when or where he arrived.
He was living with a Mary Johns Angwin/Wright. I don't believe they were married, but she had his son in 1886, also named Robert James. I know he was in the Innisfail area in 1903. I have nothing earlier, except birth of his son in Toowooba, 1886.
Any help would be appreciated.
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Hi again, Susie- I forgot to mention that Robert James Wright was born about 1849. I've never found where he came into Australia from Ireland, or exactly when.
Mary Johns Angwin's father was John Angwin. He might be listed too.
Sherry H.
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Dear Sherry,
In 1913
Thuringowa/ Division of Herbert
Wright, Robert James
Black River, Ingham Railway, Labourer
1919
Townsville/Division of Hebert
Wright, Robert James
Garbutt's Siding, Gardener
also.....not sure if this is son????
1936
Townsville/ Division of Herbert
Swansons Flats, Ninth Street
Wright, Robert James, Blacksmith
Wright, Ruby, domestic duties
There are several other mentions of Robert James Wright but they appear from my initial look as a family and they lived in the Darling Downs area.
Cheers
Susie
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Thanks, Souixsie. I had those and am looking for something earlier.
Sherry H.
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Dear Sherry,
Mea culpa......I should have looked more closely at the dates.....my only excuse it is a bit early on a Saturday morning!
Maybe another Rootschatter has access to these earlier records.
Cheers
Susie (who is now going to have a cup of coffee and wake up properly) :D
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No problem, Souixsie. I totally understand. I'm collapsing after taking down ALL my christmas decorations. Hubby complains I have too much. There'll never be tooooo much. LOL
Sherry H.
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Dear Sherry,
Mine come down today........fortunately I have the step children here and i have bludgeoned them into the task. ;) ;)
Cheers
Susie
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My children are grown and grandchildren nearby are only 2 & 4. So won't work for me. LOL
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Dear Sherry,
Only Robert James I can find is to a Mary Johns ANGWIN born: 20 Sep 1886 the Robert James ANGWIN is the name not Wright.
There is no Father on the records or on the BDM CD from Queensland Pioneers Index from 1829 to 1889.
Could this be the man your after.
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Crazy Robert - That is him. He went by the surname Wright. His mother (Mary Johns Angwin) and father (Robert James Wright) were apparently living together. At least they were together in 1903 and probably before. She used the surname Wright on the 1903 Electoral Rolls. I haven't found a marriage for them. She says she's a spinister when she marries at age 50 in 1912 to someone else. No divorce found and Robert James Sr. is not dead. If they were married his birth certificate should have a father listed.
Sherry H.
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# Name: Robert James WRIGHT
# Sex: M
# Birth: 1849 in Marlacoo, Armagh Co, Ireland
# Death: 12 DEC 1923 in Townsville, Qld, Aust
# Burial: New Albany Cem, Qld Aust
# Name: Mary Johns ANGWIN
# Sex: F
# Birth: 1862
# Death: 24 AUG 1950 in Brisbane, Qld, Aust
Father: John ANGWIN b: 1830 in C/Wall, UK
Mother: Jane SYMONS b: 1833 in Cornwall, UK
# Name: Robert James WRIGHT
# Sex: M
# Birth: 20 SEP 1886 in Toowoomba, Qld, Aust
# Death: 1970 in Brisbane, Qld, Aust
Married or lived with:
# Name: Catherine Evelyn Mary THOMAS
# Sex: F
# Birth: 27 FEB 1888 in Childers, Qld, Aust
# Death: 1975 in Brisbane, Qld, Aust
# Father: Lewis Thomas
# Mother: Elizabeth Anne Harris
Child:
# Name: Colin James WRIGHT
# Sex: M
# Birth: 1920 in Qld, Aust
# Death: 1926 in Qld, Aust
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Crazy Robert - I have all that. Sounds like what I turned in to Family Search years ago. :) If it is, look at submitter. Thanks anyway.
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Crazy Robert - I have all that. Sounds like what I turned in to Family Search years ago. :) If it is, look at submitter. Thanks anyway.
Contact: David Allebone
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Crazy Robert - I have all that. Sounds like what I turned in to Family Search years ago. :) If it is, look at submitter. Thanks anyway.
May I suggest that when requesting help on rootschat that you detail all the information you have in your first request. It makes it so much easier for any of us wishing to help. Even if you have information you aren't sure of, we can always help validate or not, the data.
Having so many threads running is causing 'chatters to do duplicate searches.
Please accept this suggestion in the spirit in which it is given :)
Cheers for now
Cando
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Thank you, Cando. :)
Sherry H.
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Hi Sherry
Here are the details from the 1903 Electoral Roll:
Robert James WRIGHT, M, Connor Street, carrier, Emu Park, Capricornia
Mary Johns WRIGHT, F, Connor Street, domestic duties, Emu Park, Capricornia
There is only one ANGWIN on the 1903 roll, not sure if he is connected to you:
William ANGWIN, M, Boorara Station, labourer, Boorara, Maranoa
You won't find details for Mary on earlier rolls as women were only eligible to vote for the first time in December of 1903 in the first Federal Election. If I get a chance I will check at the library next time I am there for Robert James WRIGHT on the earlier rolls. Sometimes men did not appear on the rolls either - the CD for 1895 has the following information:
'In the 19th century, any male aged 21 years or over, who occupied a house,
warehouse or shop, who earned 25 pounds or more, or who had held a miner's
licence for six months, was entitled to vote'.
So many rules....
Cheers
Mary-Ellen
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Thank you, Mary-Ellen. I appreciate your taking your time to research this for me.
Can you tell me if common-law marriage was an acceptable practice back then in Australia?
I don't believe Robert James Wright and Mary Johns Angwin were married, but she's using his last name. I haven't been able to find a marriage record for them. Makes me wonder since she married someone else later on and I don't believe there's a divorce record.
Sherry H.
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Hi Sherry
Common-law marriage did happen back then in Australia. There are a number of reasons that may be possibilities:
Robert was older than Mary and was around 31 when he came to Australia if your 1880 is correct.
Robert may have been married previously and may have been estranged from his wife and therefore unable to remarry unless he divorced or his 1st wife predeceased him.
Robert may have come to Australia ahead of his family with plans for them to follow which did not eventuate.
Common-law marriages also existed where the couple were from different religious backgrounds.
Divorce was uncommon and not really an option for Irish Catholics - not sure whether either party was Catholic but it may be a consideration.
Many couples, particularly where children resulted from the union, lived as husband and wife and the woman took the name of the man to avoid the scrutiny and scorn of the community.
I have a number of these unions in my tree. Some couples never married and several married after the first spouse died.
I hope that helps.
Mary-Ellen
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Hi Mary-Ellen, thank you. I don't believe either were Irish Catholic, although I don't know that for sure. They were abt 13 years different in age. Robert James Wright Sr. born c. 1849 and Mary Johns Angwin c. 1862.
As far as I know Robert did not have a family before migrating to Australia. I haven't found his immigration so I don't know that for certain.
The only child between the two was Robert James Jr. born 1880. The last name on his birth certificate is Angwin, but he used Wright as an adult. I'm pretty sure he was illegitimate.
I believe they lived together for over 20 years and were not married. So strange that after all that time together, Mary Johns married, as a 50 year old woman, to someone else and Sr. wasn't dead.
Maybe she stayed with him to raise her son and give him a father and then left when he was grown. Although the marriage didn't occur until Jr. was 32!!
Sherry H.