Henry George Price
At about the time of the death of James Price, a successful merchant in the town of Wentworth, New South Wales, a young 18 year old man arrived in the town and identified himself as James' younger brother.
The new arrival used the name "Henry George Price" and stated that he was, like James, a son of David and Margaret Price and also born in Abergavenny, Wales. From information that he gave, he would been born in approximately 1851 and would have been twenty years younger than his "brother"; he would have been born when his older brother was living in London and would have been about three years of age when his older brother sailed for South Australia. "Henry" was only three years older than his "brother's" eldest daughter.
At that time, it would not have been easy to verify information from the other side of the earth. It is possible to do so now. Research undertaken to find out more about the family of James Price has been reasonably thorough. A shoemaker named David Price married a woman named Margaret Price and they had three children including James, born in 1831, in Abergavenny in Wales. Price was a common name in the area and there were quite a few Price families. All possible records have been searched and only one family was located consistent with this information.
However, David Price died of phthisis (tuberculosis) in 1837. Further information about Margaret and her children has not been located and it appears that they probably moved away from the Abergavenny area. In 1851 James was boarding in London but no information is known about other family members.
David and Margaret Price were not parents to another son, and certainly not fourteen years after David's death.
The death certificate of "Henry" shows that his arrival in Wentworth, New South Wales, would have been in about the same year that his older "brother" died. In fact there seems to have been a remarkable coincidence between the time of James' death and the arrival of younger brother "Henry".
Perhaps there was another explanation in regard to the identity of young "Henry". One possibility was that James had fathered an illegitimate child in England prior to his marriage and that the young man who arrived in Wentworth was his son; to avoid embarrassment and scandal, James might have introduced such a lad as his younger brother. However no birth record has been found of a baby Henry Price born in 1851 to a father named James Price. Perhaps Margaret had another child, by a second marriage or out of marriage and perhaps he was James' half-brother; similarly to avoid scandal, the parentage might have been stated to be the same as James'. But no record of such a birth has been located at this time.
The circumstances of James' death by drowning are possibly suspicious. Perhaps the young man was known to James and perhaps his arrival contributed in some way to James' death, whether by carelessness, suicide or foul play.
As the exact date of "Henry's" arrival is not known, it could be that he had nothing to do with James' death but arrived in the town at a time when was convenient to portray himself as the younger brother of a recently deceased successful merchant. The History of Wentworth (seventh edition, December 1984, compiled by David Tulloch for the Wentworth Shire Council), states that Henry arrived in Wentworth at the age of 18, opening a store with his brother James Price. However James' store was operating long before "Henry's" arrival and even if "Henry" was known to James, their time together would have been quite brief.
Could this information all be wrong? Yes. But the balance of all available information strongly suggests that "Henry" was not who he claimed to be. At first one might be inclined to give him benefit of any doubt - after all, he went on to have successful careers as a solicitor and local politician. But then think about occupations for whom lies and deceit are second nature (apologies to readers of either of those occupations) and then think about someone who had both careers and convince yourself that he would not have been capable of lies, deceit (and possibly much worse).
picture from http://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/
Henry became a solicitor and prominent citizen in the town. In 1887 and 1891-92, Henry George Price was the mayor of Wentworth. He was hospital committee president, warden to the vicar of St. John's, and entertained the Earl of Jersey (then governor of New South Wales) on his visit to the town. Henry Price is said to have driven the first pile on the original Darling River bridge in Wentworth.
Henry married Julia Thompson Sharp Harvey in 1875 (NSW regn. no. 4391/1875). Their children include :
- William James Price, born in 1876 (NSW regn. no. 10609/1876)
- Margaret (Maggie) Mary Price, born in 1878 (NSW regn. no. 11755/1878)
- John Charles Price, born 1881 (NSW regn. no. 21710/1881)
- Ruby Jane Price, born 1883 (NSW regn. no. 31339/1883)
- Henry G. Price, born 1885 (NSW regn. no. 33866/1885); died same year (regn. no. 14815/1885)
- George Wentworth Price, born 1887 (NSW regn. no. 35935/1887)
- Ida I. Price, born 1889 (NSW regn. no 35473/1889)
- Gwendoline M. Price, born 1891 (NSW regn. no. 37960/1891)
- Leonard Price, born 1896 (NSW regn. no. 27007/1896)
Henry died of double pneumonia and heart failure in 1900 (NSW regn. no. 7434/1900). While not as young as his "brother" had been at the time of his death, Henry also left a widow and family some of whom were still young.
And who was he really?
Any further information about Henry George Price would be welcome. Information to clarify his links with the Price family or to confirm his date of arrival in Wentworth or any other aspects would be appreciated.
