Blue plaque unveiled to honour Canada's gold-mining millionaire and son of Sleaford

THE SLEAFORD BUTCHER'S BOY WHO STRUCK GOLD WHILST HUNTING RABBITS AND BECAME THE RICHEST PRIVATE SOLDIER IN FIRST WORLD WAR

- BY TED O'NEILL

THE richest private soldier in WWI was a butcher's boy from Westgate, who struck gold whilst hunting rabbits to eat, according to the Sleaford and District Civic Trust.

William Wright, known as Bill, was born in Sleaford on April 21, 1876 but in 1907 moved to Canada as a penniless immigrant.

The self made man returned to Europe to fight in the First World War and defend the country of his birth.

He grew up at 19 Southgate in the property now occupied by Pygott and Crone Estate Agents and a blue plaque marking the spot was unveiled by the District Trust last month.

Before he was 20, he joined the 8th Hussars to serve in the second Boer War and was present at the siege of Ladysmith between November 1899 and February 1900. After the Boer War, Bill returned to Sleaford, and opened a business in Richmond-Upon-Thames with his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Edward Hargreaves.