Joseph Wright (1792 - 1862)

Born 11 Feb 1792 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Gertrude May (Griggs) Wright — married 4 Mar 1811 (to 4 May 1839) in St. Phillips Church, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Apr 1862 at age 70 in Kempton, Tasmania, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Trevor Sams [send private message], Terry Wright [send private message], and Graham Sparks [send private message]

Biography

Joseph was the eldest son of Joseph Wright who arrived on the First Fleet, he was born 11th Feb 1792, he probably lived with his parents on the Hawkesbury farm until he started work as a wheelwright in Hunter Street Sydney.

Joseph married in 1811 and after the birth of his daughter moved to Tasmania in February 1814.

For a time after his arrival he ran the Red Lion Inn in Elizabeth Street Hobart, however in 1815 he took up farming at York Plains (previously known a Scantling Plains) after receiving a land grant of 50 acres. He erected a stone & rubble dwelling which served as an inn. In the 1819-20 Muster he is showing as holding 230 acres,175 pasture, with 130 cattle, 1200 sheep, 2 mares and 200 bushels of wheat on hand.

It is reported that on 2nd June 1821, Governor Colonel Lachlin Macquarie spent a night at Joseph's home during an inspection visit to Tasmania, and at the Governor's suggestion the property was named "Meadowbanks". Joseph died at the Wilmot Arms Inn ( his daughter Sarah's home) The Wilmot Arms is still in existence today and is classified by the National Trust.

From Philip Wright's research of the time at Scantling Plains.....

The following is recorded by non other than Marcus Clark who recount a story mentioning Joseph Wright during the time at scantling plains. Note that the building was not then described as brick, as it was later to be described. I personally very much doubt it to have been of brick, perhaps stone yes OK. I have been to the approx close location several times, nothing exists there today 2001 but it would be a jolly cold place in winter and is a frozen hell on two of my visits to the area. Anyway I quote from Marcus Clarke....

QUOTE

"Old Tales of a Young Country The Rule of the Bushranger Marcus Clarke"

In the year 1820, a writer in the Quarterly, speaking of a book given him to review, says It is the greatest literary curiosity that has come before usthe first child of the press of a State only fifteen years old. It would of course be reprinted here, but our copy, pene-nos, is a genuine Caxton. This little book would assuredly be the Reynarde Foxe of Australian bibliomaniacs.

"A copy of this wonderful work is now lying before me. It is a ragged and dirty little pamphlet of 36 pages. The paper is old and yellow, the letter-press in some places illegible, and several leaves are missing. It is printed in the year 1818, by Mr. Bent, and is called Michael Howe, the Last and Worst of the Bushrangers. The popularity of the volume is unquestionable. It is quoted by Mr. West in his History of Tasmania , and is extracted bodily into a History of Van Diemens Land by one Syme, who was a settler there in 1846. Mr. Bonwick, writing in 1856, calls Syme the historian of Howe, Syme however merely reprinted Bents pamphlet as an appendix to his own book. The Sydney Gazettes quoted by Wentworth and West, Commissioner Bigges Reports, and a pleasant collection of stories called The Military Sketch-book, written by an Officer of the Line, and published by Colburn in 1827, also contain particulars concerning the bushranger, and have been used by me to supplement the curiosity of the Quarterly Reviewer."

The following was an account of a happening very shortly after the 27th November 1816

The atrocity and daring of the scoundrel now almost surpasses belief. His head-quarters were about fifteen miles west of Oatlands, in a place yet known as Michael Howes Marsh. He instituted there a sort of rude court of justice, and would subject such of his band as displeased him to punishment. Says Mr. West The tone assumed by this robber was that of an independent chief, and in the management of his men he attempted the discipline of war. He professed the piety of the quarter-deck, and read to them the Scriptures. His style and title was Governor of the Ranges, and he addressed the Kings representative as Governor of the Town. He punished his men with blows and hard labour if they disobeyed him; and when one day a man named Bowles fired a blank shot over his head in jest, the chief tied him hand and foot, and blew his brains out. He compelled his adherents to take an oath of fidelity upon a (stolen) Bible, and sent insolent messages to the authorities. In a journal called the Bengal Hurkaru occurs the following:John Yorke, being duly sworn, states About five oclock in the evening of November 27th (1816), I fell in with a party of bushrangers about fourteen men and two women. Michael Howe and Geary were the only two of the gang I knew personally. I met them on Scantlings Plains. I was on horseback. They desired me to stop, which I accordingly did on the high road; it was Geary that stopped me; he said he wanted to see every man sworn to abide by the contents of a letter. I observed a thick man writing, as I suppose, to the Lieutenant-Governor. Geary was the man who administered the oath on a prayer-book, calling each man for the purpose regularly. They did not inform me of the contents of the letter. Michael Howe and Geary directed me to state when I came home the whole I had seen; and to inform Mr. Humphrey, the magistrate, and Mr. Wade, the chief constable, to take care of themselves, as they were resolved to have their lives, and to prevent them keeping stock or grain, unless something was done for them; that Mr. Humphrey might rear what grain he liked, but they would thrash more in one night than he could reap in a year. They said they would set the whole country on fire with one stick. I was detained about three-quarters of an hour, during which time they charged me to be strict in making known what they said to me and what I had seen. On my return from Port Dalrymple, I called at a hut, occupied by Joseph Wright, at Scantlings Plains. William Williams and a youth were there, who told me the bushrangers had been there a few days before, and forced them to a place called Murderers Plains, which the bushrangers called the Tallow-chandlers Shop, where they made them remain three days for the purpose of rendering down a large quantity of beef-fat, which Williams understood was taken from cattle belonging to Stynes and Troy.

The poorer settlers were in league with the daring robbers, and were wont to supply them with information. Howe affected to be a sort of Robin Hood indeed it is probable that the marauder of Sherwood Forest was just such another greasy ruffian. In another hundred years the light that never was on land or sea, the consecration and the Poets dream the consecration of that lecherous butcher, Henry the Eighth the poets dream of that beer-swelling termagant, Virgin Elizabeth the light that gilds the shameless robberies of the glorious Reformation may shine upon Michael Howe in the character of a romantic outlaw. The people certainly admired him; and though a reward of 100 guineas and a free passage to England was set upon his head, he was accustomed to visit Hobart Town in perfect security.

End quote

Adittional notes clipped from Lorraine Gillies file- Thank you Lorraine in February 1814 Joseph Wright and his wife Sarah Griggs left Sydney and travelled to Hobart. Sarah's daughter to Nathaniel Collins (Ann Jane) accompanied them. Ann now being Joseph's stepdaughter.

Joseph managed the "Red Lion Inn" in Hobart until 1815. In 1815 he took up land at York Plains.

On 1 January 1817 he was granted 50 acres (he later received a further grant at Blue Hills, east of the original grant).

In May 1817 the accommodation house at York Plains, a stone building, commonly known as "Joe Wright's" was completed. However the name was changed to "Meadow Banks". Governor Macquarie stayed there on 2 June 1821, during his second visit to Van Diemans Land. The publication "History of the Lower Midlands" has a photo of rubble which are the remains of the house.

Hobart Gazette Saturday 10 May 1817 Joseph Wright being about to remove into the interior part of the country, requests all claim may be presented for payment and all those indebted to him by book debts or otherwise, are requested to liquidate the same within 14 days from this date to prevent costive measures. 3 May 1817.

Hobart Gazette Saturday 17 May 1817 it is but justice for us to acquaint the public that Mr. Joseph Wright, who lately kept the Red Lion in this town, has completed a commodious house on Scantling's Plains, nearly half way to Port Dalrymple which must be a great accommodation to travellers and for which Mr. Wright is justly entitled to the thanks of the public.

Town Gazette, Hobart, 4 April 1818 Joseph requests all those indebted to him to settle He gives his address as Elizabeth Street, Hobart. The Red Lion Tavern is in Elizabeth Street.

1819-21 Muster of V.D.L. Joseph Wright born Port Jackson 180 acres (50 grant, 130 purchases) 130 cattle, 600 sheep, 2 mares, 200 bushels of wheat on hand

1820 Licence for grazing renewed at York Plains also given a new licence to graze commencing 10 miles east of Blue Hills.

1820 Joseph bought 4 merino rams at 7 guineas, cash.

Children registered at the Oatlands Police Station on 18 February 1828 as having both parents living but in great distress

Joseph aged 13

John aged 11

James aged 9

Helen (Eleanor) aged 7

Thomas aged 5

The inference is that Joseph took to the bottle and drank away his wealth.

By 1821 Joseph's farm at York Plains became known as Meadow Bank.

5 May 1827 the property at York Plains was offered for sale.

1842 Muster V.D.L Living in Dalminton Street, Oatlands on the property of Matthew Fleming, a brick house (Dalminton Street no longer exists in Oatlands).

JOSEPH WRIGHT Died 6 April 1862, Aged 74 years, from old age and infirmity, Wheelwright by occupation, death registered by Undertaker.

Death Notice in ^[1] Died at Oatlands at his daughter's residence, Wilmot Arms, Mr. Joseph Wright, senior, age 74 years.

Excerpt attached from..........The History of Oatlands (written as at 1999)The following is quoted in full from her book "Oatlands - The Founding" by Joan Cantwell

Charles Sutton was the Licensee of the Victoria Inn at Tunbridge when he died in 1855, aged 54. His wife was Sarah - nee Wright, and she later married John Newby and died in 1884. One side of this tomb is missing, and a lot of broken stone and some smaller headstones of the nearby Wright family have been thrown into it.

Joseph Wright died in 1862, aged 74 years, his wife Sarah - nee Griggs, in 1839, aged 46, and six other family members. Joseph received a grant of fifty acres at York Plains in 1817, having arrived at the Derwent in 1814 with his wife, and probably two children. Joseph named his grant 'Meadow Banks'. He ran an inn and followed various other pursuits. Joseph was born at Port Jackson to Joseph Wright, who came on the First Fleet, in the "Scarborough", and his wife Ellen - nee Gott, a Second Fleeter, who survived the voyage on the "Neptune". Some descendants still live here, but none bearing the Wright name."

The Family of Joseph Wright (1792-1862)

Joseph Wright was born on 2nd February 1792 in New South Wales. He married on 4th March 1811,in Sydney, Sarah Griggs, born 13th May 1793 on Norfolk Island, (daughter of John Townson and Sarah Griggs) died 4th May 1839, Tasmania. Joseph died 6th April 1862.

Children:

(i) Sarah Wright, born 1812 in Sydney. She married

(a) On 6th June 1827, in Hobart, Charles Sutton , born circa 1798, died 8th

January 1855 in Oatlands.

(b) On 13th May 1856 in Oatlands, John Newby

Sarah died 20th August 1889.

(ii) Joseph Garth Wright born 29th July 1814. He married Jane Higgins on 8th

August 1839. Joseph established a butcher's shop on the corner of Wellington and

Jigh Streets in Oatlands, he died 16th January 1867.

(iii) John Wright, born 7th September 1816. He married Mary Hill on 10th May

1853. John died 2nd March 1889.

(iv) James Wright born 18th September 1818. He married Jane Butt (sic)(Should read Burt) on 14th

January 1848.

(v) Eleanor born 27th September 1820 married on 21st September 1836 in

Campbell Town John Felmingham born circa 1815 in Eccles, Norfolk, England

Eleanor was killed when hit by a falling log on 2nd February 1844.

(vi) Thomas born 30th July 1822 married on 15th May 1848 in Kooringa, South

Australia Mary Thomas, born 10th May 1828 in Wales, (daughter of John Thomas

and Mary Morgan) died 27th May 1904 in Flynn's Creek, Victoria. Thomas died

18th April 1877 in Flynn's Creek, Victoria.

(vii) Robert William Wright, born 10th January 1825.

(viii) Eliza Wright, born 27th April 1830. She married William Flynn on 9th June 1846.

Note

#IN196

Burial

08 APR 1862

Oatlands Cemetary

Object

Title: Wilmot Arms - Kempton

OFNM /Users/lindsaywalker/iFamilyData/Pictures/Wilmot Arms - Kempton.jpg

CROP {{0, 0}, {0, 0}}

SEQN 1

Sources

1. ↑ Mercury Newspaper 9 April 1862

• Australia Marriages, 1810-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCT-B5T : 10 February 2018), Joseph Wright and Sarah Griggs, 04 Mar 1811; citing St. Philips Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, reference ; FHL microfilm 993,949.

• NSW Registry Births Deaths and Marriages, marriage record, V18111181 3A/1811; V1811201 5/1811.
• Marriage record - Church of England in Australia - Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1810-1980 (Society of Australian Genealogists, microfilm, SAG 87-99, Filmed as part of the Joint Copying Project.), ML ref: Reel SAG 90.
• FamilySearch, "Tasmania Civil Registration 1803-1933," Entry for Joseph Wright; Burial, Film 007368141, Image 00187, Line 59660.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Terry Wright for starting this Profile

• WikiTree profile Wright-3599 created through the import of Walker_1.GED on Jul 30, 2011 by Lindsay Walker. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Lindsay and others.