John Wright

  General Notes:

Brothers John and William, sons of William and Mary Wright, were
sentenced to death in 1818 for sheep stealing but were reprieved and
given a life sentence. They were transported to Australia aboard the
Lord Sidmouth, arriving in 1819.
John was born in 1800, in London. On February 8, 1837 he married Eliza
Davis, a free immigrant and the daughter of John Davis of England.
Eliza was only 16 at the time of her marriage. Their eldest son was
born in Bathurst but by 1841 the family had moved to Orange where John
had become the first pound keeper.
He died at Cows Flat (Canobolas) at the age of 84 years. Eliza died on
April 30th, 1887, at Canobolas, aged 66 years. Both are buried at
Orange. John and Eliza had 15 children but six were deceased by 1884.
John Wright and William Wright were indicted for stealing, on the 18th
of May, at St. Paul,Shadwell, four sheep, price 6/-, the property of
William Robins.
WILLIAM ROBINS. I live in High street, St. Paul's Shadwell, and have a
stable and slaughter house in West's Gardens, a little way from my
house. On the 18th of May I put ten sheep there, and left them there
about five o'clock in the evening; at a quarter after ten Foster came
to me, I went to the stable, found the stable drawn, and four sheep
gone; about two o'clock in the morning I found them in Godsden's
slaughter house, about three miles off, his slaughter house door was
locked, we looked through a hole, and saw them there; Mr Godsden
bought the key, I went in, and was then sure they were my sheep.
JAMES FOSTER. I live in West's Gardens, Shadwell. On Monday, the 18th
of May, about half past ten o'clock at night, I was passing the
prosecutor's stable, and saw two men, one appeared to be breaking the
door open, I passed just by them. I went home, looked out of my
Mother's back window, and saw the same men driving some sheep up
Dock-hill, they were going away from Mr. Robin's, in the way to
Blackwall. I saw the prisoners in custody on the Wednesday following,
but cannot swear to them.
JAMES WINCH. I am watchman of Poplar. On Monday night, about ten
minutes after eleven o'clock, I saw the prisoner, John Wright, driving
four sheep about two miles from the prosecutor's, I ask him whose
property they were? he said they were Mr. Godsden's, a butcher, at
Poplar; there was another man with him, apparently assisting him. I
did not observe him, and cannot swear to him.
CROSS-EXAMINED. It was dark, it was about a mile from Godsden's. I did
not know one of the men.
ROBERT SHEARMAN. I am a watchman. I went with the prosecutor to
Godsden's, and found the sheep in his slaughter house. I took the
prisoners into custody within three or four hours afterwards at a bad
house, they were in bed in the same room, it was about half a mile
from Godsden's house.
GEORGE GODSDEN. My brother keeps a butcher's shop at Blackwall. On the
18th of May the prisoners came to his house about half past eleven
o'clock at night, and desired me to ask my brother if they might put
the sheep into his slaughter house until the morning. My brother was
in bed, I gave them the key, they put them in, and brought the key
back to me in five minutes. I did not see the sheep, nor did they say
how many there were, there were no sheep there before. My brother
afterwards gave Robins the key.
CROSS-EXAMINED. The prisoners were both present, John Wright spoke,
both brought back the key together.
JOHN WRIGHT'S DEFENCE. I found them.
WILLIAM WRIGHT'S DEFENCE. I saw my brother with them, he asked me to
help him.
J. WRIGHT-GUILTY-DEATH. Aged 18.
W. WRIGHT-GUILTY-DEATH. Aged 27.
Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. justice Abbott.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. ⁸⁸³

John married Eliza Davis, daughter of John Davis and Unknown, on 8 Feb 1837 in Bathurst, NSW Australia. (Eliza Davis was born in 1821 in England UK and died on 30 Apr 1887 in Orange, NSW Australia.)