More Info →Headstone - Wright family

Description

This image of a headstone was taken at Terrace End Cemetery. The Wright family perished in a farmhouse fire at Himatangi on 6 September 1929. The Wright family consisted of Thomas, aged 47, his wife Catherine, aged 36, and their four children Joyce, 11, Brian (named as Bryne on the headstone), 8, Aileen (misnamed as Alice Mary on the headstone), 6 and Prudence, 3. They perished in the fire along with Samuel Thomson and John Westlake.

Wright was a sharemilker employed by Westlake, and Thomson was a farm worker on the property. What was first seen to be a tragic accident later became the topic of much speculation after an empty double barrelled gun was found in pieces in Westlake's bedroom, and lead, believed to be conglomerate shot, was found in his skull. Murder was rumoured reports of finanicial difficulties, marital arguments and other intrigue filled newspaper reports, however o definite conclusions were reached.

Sam Thomson is buried in Block 12, plot 42, while Westlake is buried in Kelvin Grove Cemetery.

Identification

Object type

Image

Relation

IMCA

Date

January 2022

Digitisation ID

2022BD_TerraceEndCemetery_038669

Format

Born Digital

Held In

"IMCA Digital Archive"