Thomas Wainwright

One of the advantages from our recent trip to Australia was a chance to exchange photos with our new found relatives. This is a picture of Thomas Wainwright, who was born in 1876 in Manchester, England. He was the seventh child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. In this photo he was about 20. This photo was shared with us by our cousin Jean, who was Thomas's daughter-in-law.

Visiting Australia

In April my sister and I visited Australia and met our long lost cousins for the first time. We were met at the airport in Perth by 11 relatives in two groups--two groups who did not know each other; so my sister and I had the pleasure of not only meeting our new found relations for the first time, but also of introducing some of our Australian relatives to each other, also for the first time. It was a thrill for both of us to see such a positive tangible result from the fruits of our research.

While I was only able to be in Australia for 2 and a half weeks, my sister, who was joined by her daughter just before I left, was able to stay in for an additional week and a half longer. Still, in 2 and a half weeks, we met 69 relatives! Of the 6 Wainwright siblings who emigrated to Australia, only 3 had children in Australia (Richard Wainwright's daughter remained in England when he emigrated). So the 69 descendants that we met were all descended from either Thomas or Samuel Wainwright, or from their sister, Elizabeth Stubbs (nee Wainwright).

So the connection has been reestablished and new friendships made and it will be up to all of us to keep it going for the next generation. It is a unique thing for distant kin in two counties so far apart as Canada and Australia to have found each other and hopefully we can all profit from it.

Death in the state of Western Australia

I have received the death certificate from Western Australia which correctly identifies William Wainwright as the son James Wainwright and Ann Maria Hughes

He died of Lobar Pneumonia on July 11, 1916 and was buried two days later at Wagin Cemetery. He was 45 years old. He is listed as a farmer and the place of death is listed as Pingarning East, Dumbleyung. The residence information was supplied in writing by his brother, George, whose address is listed as simply, Pingarning.

The certificate lists Williams birthplace as Manchester, England, and that he had been in Western Australia for six years.

His death was registered at Katanning on July 17, 1916.

The occupation of the father, James, is listed as "farmer," and this is most intriguing, because we have never seen James described as a farmer before, and this makes me suspect that the family story of James accompanying his children to Australia is true! And most likely he was working on the farm with William and George when William died.