Reuben Bason

   Cause of his death was Suicide - Gunshot to the head.

  General Notes:

Reuben emigrated to NZ in about 1855 according to his Death Certificate. Reuben Bason and his nephews Thomas and John established a brickworks on the corner of China (now Bell) Street and London Street, in the flourishing port of Wanganui. John later established a farm with his wife Mary which today is the remowned Bason Botanic Gardens in Wanganui. Refer to entry for John's son Stanley Bason for details.

Reuben's Death Certificate also records that the cause of his death, which must have been the subject of an Inquiry as it was recorded as the Verdict of a Jury, was "That the deceased blew out his brains with a gun while in an unsound state of mind".

  Medical Notes:

His Death Certificate records that "Verdict of Jury: That the deceased blew out his brains with a gun while in an unsound state of mind"

  Noted events in his life were:

• He emigrated to New Zealand in 1855.

• He worked as a Bricklayer at the time of his death on 18 Dec 1889.

Reuben married Emma Spong Windiate, daughter of William James Windiate and Jane Spong, in 1860. (Emma Spong Windiate was born circa 1842 in England, christened on 6 Nov 1842 in Stoke St John the Evangelist, Surrey, England and died in 1915.)