Curran Wright History

Category: Port Pirie

  • Josephenna Theresa Cramer – Wright

    Josephenna Theresa Wright (nee Cramer) is my maternal Great Grandmother (Cyril Wright’s mother).

    Josephenna was born 15th August, 1877 in Port Pirie, South Australia. Her parents were Heinrich Christoph Cramer (1835-1885) and Margaret McNamara (1842-1910).

    Josephenna married Frederick George Wright in Wentworth, NSW in 1897. They had 7 children, Cyril being their 3rd child.

    Josephenna’s husband George died in Mildura in 1942. She died in 1958 in Castlemaine, Victoria at the age of 85 years.

    These are the places where Josephenna lived along with key life events:

    • 1877 Born in Port Pirie, South Australia
    • 1877 Bendigo, Victoria

    1880 Josephenna is 3 years old when her father, Heinrich deserts her mother, Margaret. He attempts suicide and is jailed for this – for 3 months.

    1885 Josephenna is 8 years old when her father suicides by gunshot wound to his head.

    1887 (1 April) Josephenna’s mother marries John Hill Sedgman in Balranald, NSW (Registration Number 1887/003844). 

    1887 (July 8)  Josephenna Theresa (10 years) and her siblings, John (8 years) and Matilda Cramer (6 years) are ordered to the Royal Park Industrial School in Flemington, Victoria. Their mother, Margaret Sedgman (Cramer/McNamara) is destitute since her husband (John Hall Sedgman) has deserted her.

    Josephenna (Theresa), John & Matilda: Neglected, found wandering about. Father (Henry) dead, Stepfather, J.H. Sedgman deserted

    • Mother: Margaret Sedgman, Sandhurst, destitute
    • Relations: Brother 16.71,  & Sister 16.73
    • State on Admission: Good
    • Vaccinated: Yes
    • 8 July – Girls’ School
    • 20 July – Fostered to: Margaret O’Leary, Ballarat West
    News article indicating Josephenna and her siblings were ordered to Industrial School. Father has deserted his wife.
    Source: Tramway Poll 8 July 1887

    1891 (October 20) Josephenna Theresa Cramer,  daughter of Margaret McNamara and Henry Cramer, is listed as living in Abbotsford during her time as a Ward of the State. She is 14 years old.

    Reference: Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893 (Victoria) BB=Boys’ Book, RH=Receiving House
    Volume BB7, page 174  TC & TSN. RH6, page 150 (TC & TSR)

    1896 Balranald, New South Wales

    1896 (March 11) Theresa, John and Matilda are discharged to their sister (Mrs. Dean) in Gampang, Balranald, NSW. There is no trace of their Step-father, John Hill Sedgman. Their mother is also living in Balranald.

    Reference:  Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893 (Victoria):

    (Matilda and John) Volume BB7 (Boys’ Book), page 173 & Vol RH6 (Receiving House), page 155.
    (Theresa), Volume BB7, page 174 TC and TSN & RH6, page 150 TC and TSR

    • 1897 Wentworth, New South Wales
    • 1901 Gives birth to Cyril Jesse Wright
    • 1903 Koorlong Avenue, Mildura
    • 1909 Mildura
    • 1912, 1914, 1919 Irymple Avenue, Mildura
    • 1924 90 Magnolia Avenue, Mildura
    • 1931  Mildura, Victoria
    • Year unknown – 1958 Castlemaine, Victoria where she dies
    Josephenna Theresa Wright portrait
    Josephenna Cramer - Wright
    Josephenna
    Frederick George Wright
    Frederick George Wright

  • Heinrich Christoph Cramer

    Henry Cramer – 1835-1885 is my maternal three x grandfather. He is Cyril Wright’s grandfather.

    He was born in Geseke, Westfalen, Preuben, Germany on 12th June, 1835. His parents were Conrad Cramer (1789-1835) and Elizabeth Leising (1796-1835).

    He married Margaret McNamara on January 17, 1867 in the Roman Catholic Church in Mt Gambier, South Australia. They had seven children including Josephenna Theresa Cramer (in 1877) who was Cyril Wright’s mother.

    1872: Henry is charged with forging and uttering a cheque

    Henry Cramer, a German, speaks good English, aged 30
    years, 5ft. in. high, fair complexion, beard and moustache
    inclined to be sandy, very thin whiskers, dressed in a suit of
    light striped tweed (very dirty), and a high-crowned felt hat,
    is charged, on a warrant issued at Adelaide on the 13th
    instant, with feloniously forging and uttering a cheque for
    £5, on the Bank of Australasia, signed Gong Yung, with
    intent to defraud Albert Domeyer, at Adelaide. The offender
    is reported to have a wife living at Kapunda, and deals in
    greengrocery ; he was also employed by Dean & Laughton.
    South Australian Police Gazette, 14 Feb 1872, p.26

    1880 (August) Heinrich was charged with deserting Margaret and ordered to pay maintenance for desertion.

    Henry Cramer, a German, aged 40 years, height 6ft.,
    stout build, dark hair and whiskers, dark complexion, a
    carpenter by trade, for deserting his wife, at Port Pirie, on
    the 20th Ultimo.
    South Australian Police Gazette, 18 Aug 1880, p.153

    In the same year, he attempted suicide (by hanging) and was charged with wilful suicide for which he served 3 months in jail.

    Article about the attempted suicide of Henry Cramer

    Detailed article about Henry Cramer's attempted suicide

    Part 2 of article about attempted suicide of Henry Cramer

    In 1885 in Wentworth, NSW, he died by a gunshot wound to his head, inflicted by himself. He was 49 years old.

    Henry Cramer Death Certificate

    For further details, go to Henry’s pages for the places below.

    Cramer Family Residences

    • 1835  Westfarlen, Germany
    • 1867 Mt Gambier, South Australia
    • 1877 Port Pirie, South Australia
    • 1885 Wentworth, New South Wales

  • Henry and Margaret Cramer – Port Pirie

    August 15, 1877

    • Henry and Margaret’s daughter, Josephenna Theresa (later known as Theresa Wright, who is Cyril Wright’s mother) is born.

    June 4, 1879 

    • Henry and Margaret’s son, John is born.

    1880

    • August – Henry Cramer is charged with deserting his wife, Margaret Cramer, at Port Pirie. He is described as German, 40 years of age.  He is 6ft, stout build, dark hair and whiskers, dark complexion. His occupation is listed as a Carpenter. (Reference: South Australia Police Gazette 1880, page 197).
    • August – Henry Cramer attempts suicide at home after being ordered to pay maintenance for deserting his wife,  Margaret Cramer. He is later sentenced to three months hard labour (Reference:  South Australian Chronicle News report).
    • October – Henry Cramer is tried in the Supreme Court for attempting to murder himself. He is given 3 months hard labor for ‘Wilful Suicide’ (Reference: South Australian Police Gazette 1880, page 197).

  • South Australia

    Mt Gambier

    • 1867 Henry and Margaret Cramer (nee McNamara)

    Port Pirie

    • 1877-1880 Henry and Margaret Cramer (nee McNamara)

    Wallaroo

    • Herbert family

    Sedan

    • 1881 Henry and Margaret Cramer (nee McNamara)

     

  • Port Pirie

    1877 – 1880 Henry Cramer & Margaret Cramer (McNamara)