William Henry Birt Green (abt. 1819 - 1866)

Born about 1819 in England

Husband of May Margaret (Coull) Green — married 1859 in Queensland, Australia

Died 30 Oct 1866 at about age 47 in Mount Debateable, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

William's parents are not known for sure. The immigration record for Jane Cook (nee Birt) under "Relatives in the Colony" lists a "Brother Wm Green at the Burnett River". So it's likely that they share parents, and his surname possibly differs because William was born before his parents were married. Also based on Jane's immigration record he is known to have arrived in Queensland prior to her arrival in 1857.

In 1859 he married May Smith.

In March 1859 Katherine Ann Kreecher, a domestic servant employed by William, was murdered after leaving his house for a trip into Gayndah. A report from the police court featured in The Moreton Bay Courier on 16 April 1859.^[1] A subsequent article int he same paper in June of the same year stated that "It does not say much for police vigilance that no clue to that barbarous deed has been discovered."^[2]

According to newspaper reports, in October 1866 William killed himself on the morning of a magisterial enquiry into accusations he had killed cattle which did not belong to him:

A magisterial enquiry was held on Tuesday on the body of William Henry Green, who died suddenly at Mount Debateable that morning, which resulted, we believe, in the finding that the deceased had died from the effects of a dose of strychnine, administered by himself. For some days previous to his death the unfortunate man was in an extreme state of excitement, caused by some accusations that were made against him relative to the slaughtering of cattle which did not belong to him; which accusations were to be made the subject of magisterial enquiry on the day of his death. Whether deceased was rightly or wrongly accused, we will not venture to say; but the fact of his having taken his own life on the morning of the day upon which an enquiry was to be made into the matter, gives a coloring to the correctness of the accusations. The deceased was a most hospitable man ; in short, he almost kept an open house. There was hardly any of the upper strata of our society who have not partaken of his hospitality. But, alas how few of them were there to sympathise with his widow, and to follow his remains to their last resting place at Mount Debateable on the evening of that day. O tempora, O mores. — Burnett Argus. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ POLICE COURT. (1859, April 16). The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861), p. 3. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3725912
2. ↑ NEWS AND NOTES. (1859, June 8). The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861), p. 4. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3722594
3. ↑ No title. (1866, November 7). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947), p. 2. Retrieved February 1, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147937397

Birth

Birth country and approximate year from death index as below.

Marriage

Queensland BMD:
Year: 1859
Reg#: C41
Person 1: May Smith
Person 2: William Henry Birt Green

Death

Queensland BMD:
Year: 1866
Reg#: C451
First Name: William Henry Birt
Last Name: Green
Father: -
Mother: -
Note: born England aged 47 years