William Wright (1857 - 1941)

William initially worked for his mother collecting coal each day for distribution from her business base in Comberbach.

Met Miss Wright at a ball organised by the Yeomanry. His mother resisted a match saying that an educated girl was no good to him as a wife. He would not listen and she told him to leave the family home and threw out his belongings. William rented the village inn The George and Dragon and its attached farm in Great Budworth Cheshire. He and his new wife settled into their new home and had one son and two daughters. But weakened by running a farm, an inn and having three children in quick succession, Sarah Wright died after the last was born at the age of 27. She is buried in the local churchyard near the inn.

William employed a housekeeper and in due time his daughter was able to help in the work. He had hoped that his son Thomas would enjoy running the farm but they disagreed. Thomas wanted to concentrate on breeding high class cattle and his father did not. So Thomas took himself off to New Zealand and became a sheep farmer in Palmerston North. Some time later William received the news that his son, wife and children had perished in an inexplicable fire that destroyed their wooden farm house. A further grim mystery was that among the remains was found a skull containing a bullet hole. An open verdict was returned at the inquest. Thomas had been the apple of William's eye and William named his house Palmerston to keep alive the memory of his son and daiughter-in-law and the grandchildren he had never seen. By now he had moved from Gt Budworth to Grappenhall. His last listing as publican is in the 1901 census. By 1911 another family as in charge.

Meanwhile his younger daughter had become dissatisfied with their way of life. There was a mighty row and she left the home and went to Manchester. She eventually married and had a daughter and her husband became the mayor of one of the local towns. She visited her father a couple of times after she became a widow but the visits always ended in rows.

Annie had become an accomplished pianist and was invited to many social evenings where she entertained guests with her music. At one of these she met her husband to be,

In May 1940 WiIlliam Wright died in Palmerston. He was buried alongside his wife in Great Budworth. His death is listed at 7 May 1941 on his probate details.