Curran Wright History

Category: Wentworth

  • Michael Cullinan

    Michael Cullinan is my Great Grandfather (father to Kelleen Lillian Cullinan, my paternal Grandmother). He was born in 1852 (2 August) and died in 1924 (20 August) at the age of 72 years. He is buried in Broken Hill cemetery in New South Wales, Australia.

    Here is where Michael Cullinan lived:

  • 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

  • Margaret McNamara

    (1842-1910)

    Margaret McNamara is my two X Grandmother (maternal side, Cyril Wright’s Grandmother). She was born in 1842 in Limerick, Ireland. Her father was Timothy McNamara (about 1815 to unknown). Her mother is unknown.

    Margaret Cramer (nee McNamara)

    1867 Margaret married Heinrich (Henry) Cramer in the Roman Catholic Church in Mt Gambier, South Australia. They had 7 children. Josephenna, my great grandmother was born in 1877 when Margaret was 35 years old.

    Wedding Certificate of Henry and Margaret

    1880 (August): Margaret’s husband is charged with deserting her and ordered to pay maintenance for desertion. In the same year, he attempted suicide and was charged with wilful suicide for which he served 3 months in jail.

    1885 Margaret’s husband suicides by gunshot in Wentworth, NSW.

    Margaret Sedgman (nee Cramer, nee McNamara)

    1887 Balranald Margaret married John Hill Sedgman at St. Barnabas Church. He is a widower. His occupation: Bootmaker.

    1887 Bendigo
    Margaret’s children are ordered to the Royal Industrial School in Flemington, Victoria since she stated that she was “utterly destitute” since the desertion of her husband. Her children were considered to be ‘neglected’ (found wandering).

    1887 Echuca: A few months later, John deserted Margaret. He is charged for such. Margaret is listed as living in Echuca according to the Victorian Police Gazette, 0.5068, 28 June, 1887.

    JOHN HALL SEDGMAN is charged, on warrant, with deserting his
    wife, Margaret Sedgman, Echuca, on the 17th instant. Description
    : -Victorian, shoemaker, 30 years of age, 5 feet 5 inches high, fair complexion, round features, dark hair, clean shaved excepting
    small moustache, high shoulders, stooped; has worked at a shop
    in Fitzroy, and goes by the name of Joe Brown. Was at Balranald,
    New South Wales, some time ago. 0.5068. 28th June1887.
    Victoria Police Gazette, 29 Jun 1887, p.198

    JOHN HALL SEDGMAN , wife desertion .- Complainant now stays
    at 162 King street , Melbourne. She has learned that her husband
    is working in a boot factory somewhere in Fitzroy, and
    that he plays the piano in hotel parlors at night. Offender is a
    bootmaker by trade, and passes as Joe Brown.-O.50 236rd8.
    January 1888. VIC Police Gazette, 1887, p. 193.

    1888 Narrandera
    Margaret Sedgman’s (formerly Cramer, nee McNamara) address is listed as Care of Superintendent, Hospital, Narrandera, NSW.

    (Reference: Victoria – Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893,  Vol. BB7, pg, 172)

    1888 Wagga Wagga
    In the records of her children (who are Wards of the State), Margaret is listed as living Care-Of Mrs Newbury, near Railway Station, Wagga Wagga.

    Reference: Victoria – Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893, Vol. BB7, pg, 172

    1888 (June 21)

    Margaret is charged with maliciously damaging property and assault. According to the Wagga Wagga Advertiser, 23 June 1888:

    Margaret wilfully and maliciously damaged a one fan light and a door of the Hotel property of Elijah William Nicholls on 20th June. She plead, ‘not guilty’.

    This followed being in the kitchen, being asked to leave (for noise and disturbance), striking Nicholls, throwing a billet of wood, brick and stone which damaged property. 

    Margaret was ordered to pay 15s for property damage, 2 pounds as a fine. She was also fined 1 pound for assault. 

    Margaret Sedgman arrest in Wagga Wagga

    1888 Tumbarumba
    Margaret’s address is listed as Manus? Station, Tumbarumba, NSW. Also, Hotel, Tumbarumba, NSW.

    Reference:  Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893 Victoria, Vol. BB7 (Boys’ Book), pg, 172

    1889: Margaret’s husband is arrested for wife desertion.

    JOHN HILL SEDGMAN, wife desertion. This offender has been
    arrested by the police of Longwarry.-O.5068. 19th May 1889.
    Victoria Police Gazette, 22 May 1889, p.187

    1892 (June 1) Hamilton

    Margaret’s address is listed as: PO Hamilton 3799. She is 50 years old. Her children are in care.

    Reference: Victoria – Index to the Children’s Registers of State Wards 1850-1893, Vol. BB7 (Boys’ Book), pg, 172.

    1910 Margaret dies in Brunswick, Victoria

  • 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

  • Wentworth

    Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia

    1885 Henry & Margaret Cramer

    1905 Michael Cullinan & Ellen Dhann

    1914 Michael Cullinan & Mary Ann Hayward – Cuff