John Stenhouse

 

The Stenhouse family lived in Pennant Street, North Parramatta. John Stenhouse was born in Scotland in 1852 and arrived with his wife Christina and three children in 1883.

John and Catherina’s son Norman was coming home from Lithgow, to spend some time with his parents over Easter. On reaching home, he found his mother lying unconscious, bleeding to death on the kitchen floor. He called Dr. Kearne and Catherina was taken to hospital.

Later in the evening, a stonemason's hammer, with the human hair was found in the house. Police was called and John was charged the next day. He was sent to jail for fourteen years for the manslaughter of his wife who died 14th April 1914, aged 58 years. John died at the Rookwood Asylum in April 1924.

John is remembered as one of the two stonemasons who built the Centennial Fountain in Parramatta.