George MacIntyre WRIGHT, Mitcheldean Shooting, 1906 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Thursday, February 15, 2018, 16:46 (2468 days ago) @ Mike Pinchin

Thanks Mike, and also for the cutting of the Rifle Shooting incident. Despite extensive searching I still cannot find my own records of searching for George, I know it was a few years ago hence before I learnt the value of Electoral Register records, so apologies again for asking for help in what may seem a simple query.

I've summarised the newspaper report as follows;

Mitcheldean Shooting Affair.

Wright before the Magistrates.

George Wright, an Army pensioner, formerly landlord of the George Hotel Mitcheldean, appeared at Littledean Petty Sessions accused of trying to commit suicide late one night at Mitcheldean Rifle Range, which he was in charge of after leaving the George a few months before. Throughout the incident and subsequent days Wright insisted he'd shot himself by accident, at about 6.30pm, hence his bad state thro' severe loss of blood when discovered on the range by gamekeeper Owen Jones at 11.30pm.
Dr Searancke treated Wright at the range abt midnight, before he was taken to Gloucester Infirmary where the bullet was removed. Despite some witnesses believing it was attempted suicide, due to the wound being in the side of George's forehead while he was supposedly alone on the range shooting at targets, others argued Wright had been sober and coherent after the shooting, and had always said it was accidental. It was stated that Wright was well-used to rifle shooting, hence his being custodian of the range, guns and ammunition, and if he'd want to commit suicide he would have placed the end of the rifle in his mouth as was the Army way.
One witness was shoemaker Frederick Barrett who had lived with Wright for the last 5 years. The report mentions a Mr M.F.Carter Jnr watching the case on behalf of Wright's wife, but doesn't name her.
The case was dismissed as a genuine accident.

Citizen August 25th 1906

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So, as Mike has said, we know George MacIntyre Wright was married and an Army Pensioner, so he may be found within Army Records. I'm unsure as to Pensionable age for soldiers at that time, but he was presumably born sometime before 1860 ? This makes the above death record a good possibility, although there are a lot of "George Wright" and "George M Wright" records on file.

On rechecking FreeBMD site I immediately find this record, I know I searched extensively for him last time around so I'd like to think I saw this too - apologies everyone for asking for help on what may seem an easy enquiry !

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Mar 1876
Le Lean Sarah Ann Alverstoke 2b 733
Redman Emma Alverstoke 2b 733
SEYMOUR James Alverstoke 2b 733
Wright George McIntyre Alverstoke 2b 733

Alverstoke is a small settlement contiguous with the town of Gosport, on the south coast of Hampshire. It stretches east-west from Fort Blockhouse, Haslar to Browndown Battery, and is centred 0.5 miles east of the shore of Stokes Bay and near the head of a creek which extends a mile westward from Portsmouth Harbour.

This locality seems quite a good fit for a military man.

However I'm still struggling to find any definite Birth or Death records for him which included his unusual middle name. Hopefully I can find George and/or other names in the Census etc. Similarly a quick search of the Census', particularly the 1901 when he was presumably still in the Mitcheldean area, are still drawing a blank.
I hoped searching for Frederick Barrett, shoemaker, would lead me to George in the 1901 Census, probably at the George Hotel Mitcheldean, but he is also surprising elusive, as is Owen Jones gamekeeper.

??

Now searching for George and his wife (Emma or Sarah Ann, I'll start with Emma) in Hampshire, the very first of several hits from Familysearch gives this seemingly good fit ?

1911 Alverstoke, Brockhurst Gosport, Hampshire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Wright Head M 69 ARMY PENSIONER COLLECTOR FOR MEDICAL CLUB. Island Of Corfee Resident
Mary Emma Wright Wife F 67 Nova Teotia Resident

(Suspect this should read Corfu, and Nova Scotia, Canada)

However he was also there in 1901, and also in 1891, so maybe a red herring ? (sorry JaneyH !)?

1901 Richmond Rd, Alverstoke, Hampshire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Wright Head M 59 WRITER BOOKKEEPER. Greece British Subject
Mary Emma Wright Wife F 57 Canada

There are a LOT of George Wrights in Hampshire....as indeed there are in Gloucestershire !

Repeat the search, this time with wife Sarah Ann, and this looks like our man, especially as his wife was possibly Sarah An L Lean, an unusual surname...

1901 Crews Hole, St Georges, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Wright Head M 47 Licensed Victualar. Holloway, London
Sarah A Wright Wife F 43 Melcombe Regis Weymouth, Dorsetshire
Laura L Le Lean Niece F 7 Newington, London

I suspected "Crews Hole" was a nautical pub, but apparently not, altho it is on the River Avon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crew%27s_Hole,_Bristol

There were a few pubs in this industrial area, the oldest being the Bull, but no sign of George Wright on this useful website.
http://bristolslostpubs.eu/page137.html

Chores beckon, but a slight tweaking of the FamilySearch filters, gives;

1911 Dover, Kent, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Mcintyre Wright Head M 57 LICENSED VICTUALLER. Middlesex London, London
Sarah Ann Wright Wife F 53 Waymouth, Dorsetshire
Frederick William Barrett M 36 Assistant. Bristol, Gloucestershire

Q.E.D.

So George was born abt 1854, and Sarah abt 1858.

Beginning to wonder if I DID see this last time around, and so discounted George McIntyre from being one of my Mitcheldean Wrights ? It's hard to see how I didn't find it before, altho it did take an hour today (? - I know !..).

AND found Frederick Barrett too, earlier Census' show is indeed Bristol-born, now for Gamekeeper Owen Jones.