| Birth | Richard Wisdom Wightman was born circa 1834. |
| INFO | BAPTISM. Parish Church of Manchester, Lancaster, 1834 #3122. Richard Wisdom, son of William and Rachael Wightman [sic] of Edgeworth, Calico Printer, by W. Remington. (ManBirBapAnc.) |
| INFO | Probable PASSENGER LIST. Ship Falcon, master Thomas Taylor, 1106 tons... bound for Melbourne 12 Sep 1854 from Liverpool. 311 passengers. Arr. Dec 1854. #59 Richard W. Wightman age 20, farmer. (VicPassBrit.) |
| INFO | IMMIGRATION. Probable Richard W. Wightman on ship Falcon, Dec 1854. age 20. code B, Fiche 080, page 005. (VicImmig79) Note: PROV Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists also shows future wife Helena Heatley on same voyage. |
| Marriage | He married Helena Mary Heatley, daughter of Abraham Heatley and Sophia ...?..., 18 September 1858 in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. |
| INFO | MARRIAGE NOTICE. The Argus (Melbourne, Vic., Australia), 20 Sep 1858, p.4. MARRIAGES. On the 18th inst., at Napier-street, Collingwood, by the Rev. Robert Hamilton, Richard Wighman, -?- farmer, of Lancashire, to Helena, third daughter of Abraham Heatley, Esq., of Bray, county Dublin." (ArgusTro.) |
| INFO | CIV REG INDEX AUST Marriage. Richard Wightman. Spouse: Helena Heatley. Reg 1858 Victoria #3289. (AVRI.) |
| Note | NOTE death of wife Helena 1870. |
| Marriage | Richard Wisdom Wightman married Jane Kingsford, daughter of Flavius Ebenezer Kingsford and Hannah Farmar, 1871 in Victoria, Australia. |
| INFO | CIV REG INDEX AUST Marriage. Richard Misdom [sic] Wightman. Spouse: Jane Kingsford. Marriage place: Kent [error in index - label should be Birth Place]. Reg.1871 #3565 Victoria. (AVRI.) |
| Exhibit | PHOTOGRAPH of the Richard Wisdom Wightman family home near Thornton, Victoria, Australia. The property was called "Hillcrest." Four women are playing tennis on the court in the foreground. (CorresKNHHS Email 6Nov2015.)  |
| INFO | VOTER ROLL. Shire of Alexandra for year ending 31 Jul 1883. #606 Richard W. Wightman. House and land Thornton, 3 votes, property in Kilmore and Anglesey electoral district, Yea division. (VicVoters78 LDS209273.) |
| INFO | BIOGRAPHY 1888. "Wightman, Richard Wisdom, J.P., Thornton, is a native of Lancashire, England, who arrived in this colony in 1854, and followed the gold mining industry for two years. Then turning to farming in 1856 he was in various places up to 1858, when with partners he bought land near Belfast, but returning to Melbourne in the same year rented land in the Metropolitan district until Grant's Act came into operation in 1865. In 1868 he selected 235 acres of his present farm at Thornton, in the shire of Alexandra, and now holds in freehold and leasehold about 3200 acres, of which he has about 220 acres under cultivation. He does a large business in dairy farming and pig breeding, sending, in the summer season, a ton of butter per month to Melbourne. Mr. Wightman has been a member of the Alexanra shire council for twelve years, has occupied the presidential chair one term, and is a justice of the peace for the central bailiwick. He has been twice married, his present wife, nee Kingsford, being a native of Kent. His family consists of thirteen children." (VicMetropol vol.IIA, p. 332.) |
| Exhibit | PHOTOGRAPH. Photo of Richard Wisdom Wightman as a mature man. Photographer: H. Hugen, Artist Photographer, Alexandra [Victoria, Australia]. (CorresKNHHS email 19Nov2015; also CorresELHMB email 14Oct2015.) |
| INFO | BUTTER FACTORY. Alexandra & Yea Standard. 27 Apr 1894, p.2. An extensive article "Dairying in the Alexandra District. The Butter Factory. Mr. Wightman's Homestead." R.W. Wightman is the largest dairyman in the Alexandra district. He is one of the directors of the successful Alexandra Dairy Company, a three-year old butter factory in Alexandra. The butter-making operation at Alexandra is described in detail. It is a large operation that can handle 500 lb. of butter at a time. Before working with the new butter factory, Wightman had his own extensive dairy cattle operation and butter production facility. He owns 4000 acres at Thornton, 8 miles from Alexandra and another property "Hazel Grove" 3 miles higher up the river. His attention to detail and excellence in all facets of his dairying operations is praised and, in particular, his careful bookkeeping and record-keeping. (AlexYeaStTro.) |
| INFO | NEWSPAPER NOTE. Yea Chronicle, 19 Jan 1899, p.2. "The president of the Alexandra Shire, Cr. R.W. Wightman, met with a nasty accident recently. As Mr. Wightman was returning home for Alexandra he got off his horse to inspect a culvert on the Thonton side of the Eildon bridge, and as he was in the act of remounting, the animal made a sudden bound forward. Mr. Wightman was thrown to the ground and trampled upon by the horse, sustaining a fractured rib and another one several bruised, while the left leg was severely trodden upon. Dr. Johnson was called in to attend to the patient and he is now progressing favorably towards recovery. (YeaChronTro.) |
| INFO | PROPERTY SALE. Yea Chronicle, 20 Apr 1911, p.3. Auctioneers' Report. "Charles Hamilton and Co report . . . the following sales during the month of March -- Land Sales -- R.W. Wightman, his property at Thornton known as 'Hazel Grove' comprising about 1560 acres to Sir John Barnewall at a very satisfactory figure." (YeaChronTro.) |
| Death | Richard Wisdom Wightman died 27 September 1916 in Alexandra, Victoria, Australia. |
| INFO | OBITUARY. Kilmore Free Press (Kilmore, Vic, Ausralia) 5 Oct 1916, p.3. OBITUARY. Mr. Richard W. Wightman, an old and well esteemed resident of Thornton, a prominent grazier and dairyman, died at Alexandra on 27th ultimo. Deceased, who had been in delicate health for some time, was 84 years of age, and came to the State when 22 years of age. He was for years a councillor of Alexandra shire and for some time president thereof. Many old friends will bear him in kindly memory. (KilmorePrTro.) |
| INFO | OBITUARY Alexandra & Yea Standard, 3 Nov 1916, page 2. "The Late Richard W. Wightman The 'crossing of the bar' by the late Richard Wisdom Wightman, after a long and strenuous life, spent for the greater part in reducing the wilds of nature into fertile and reproducing pasture, will be ... deeply regretted by those of the older generations of Alexandrans who are left. For in Richard Wisdom they well knew the Father of the Council, as he was named even in the 80's, and as one of the vigorous and progressive of ...local politicians. ... He was . . always to the front, ever ready to lend a ... hand in any good cause having for its object the welfare of the shire, or the enjoyment of its people. . . . His name is associated with almost every public building in the town. . . . Trained in the same college in Ireland as was his old colleague and friend, the late Mr James Campbell . . . Mr. Wightman greatly interested himself in the first endeavour, to place the butter industry on a better and more permanent and profitable footing . . . and was one of the pioneers of the great dairying industry of the present day. . . . " (AlexYeaSt.) |
| INFO | PROBATE APPL INDEX. Richard W. Wightman, late of Thornton, farmer. d. 27 Sep 1916. Probate granted 16 Nov 1916. 149:151. (VicProbAppl LDS209300 149:151.) |
| INFO | CIV REG INDEX AUST Death. Richard Wisdom Wightman d 1916, age 84. Father Wm Wightman. Mother Rachael unk. Reg # 12789. (VicBDMGtWJer.) |
| Exhibit | TOMBSTONE. Inscription: In Memory of / my parents / Richard Wisdom & Jane Wightman / at rest. (CorresELHMB email 14Oct2015.) |
Richard Wisdom Wightman