The ancestors of the Wright family lived among an ancient Scottish people called the Boernicians. The name Wright is derived from the Old English "wyrhta," meaning "worker," or, specifically, "woodworker, carpenter, craftsman," and was used to refer to a carpenter. In medieval rolls, the name was often Latinized as Faber. "The Anglo-Saxon wyrhta signifies, in its widest sense, the same as the Latin faber, a workman of any kind, but more specifically an artificer in hard materials." Source
Our
story of the Wright family dates back
345 years, to the New Garden MM, in East Nottingham Township, Chester Co. Pennsylvania.
We
visited the Nottingham Lots
in Rising Sun, Maryland.
James Wright
b. August 1671 (alternative 1676) d. May 15th, 1759
married for fifty-three years on February 26th, 1706 to
Mary Davis
b. February 12th, 1689 d. March 6th, 1764
(9th great-grandparents)
Places Lived: Somerset, MD. East Nottingham, PA. Monocacy, MD. Winchester, VA.
James, a Quaker Minister moved his family from East Nottingham Township, Chester Co. PA to Monacy, in Frederick Co. MD in 1727, and later to the Hopewell MM, in Frederick Co. Virgina where he acquired almost 400 acres on VA 739 (Apple Pie Ridge), and Highway 672 (Braddock’s Rd) about 4 miles North of Winchester, VA.
The Quaker Biography Collection by Willard Heiss states this about James Wright, "An elder of Hopewell Monthly meeting, was one of the first settlers in that part of Virginia. He was a sober, honest man, grave in manners, and solid and weighty in his conversation. He was diligent in the attendance of his religious meetings, exemplary in humble waiting therein, and of a sound mind and judgment. He was cautious of giving just offence to any one, and was earnestly concerned for the unity of the brethren, and the peace of the church. He appeared for some time before his last illness, as one who had finished his day's work, and who was waiting for his change." (C-581, 866
)[Source]
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| Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. 6 Fairfax Monthly Meeting - Page 468 |
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| Hopewell Monthly Meeting Memorial for James Wright |
John Captain Wright
b. November 4th, 1716 d. June 8th, 1790
married for thirty-four years in 1737 to
Rachel Wells
b. May 3rd, 1720 d. December 23rd, 1771
(8th great-grandparents)
Places Lived: East Nottingham, PA. Monacy, MD. Cane Creek, NC. Newberry, SC.
Much information can be gleaned about this family from a book by Algie I. Newlin entitled CHARITY COOK, A LIBERATED WOMAN, (Friends United Press, 1981). It is a biography of their daughter, Charity Cook, written and researched by a history professor.
John's family moved from 1733-35 to Frederick Co., VA and became members of the Friends Hopewell Monthly Meeting according to Lewis Wright. (C-588, 610) Possibly the confusion here comes from the changing names of territories. They lived near Monacacy River a few miles south of Frederick which could have been Prince George's Co., Maryland at the time, but is now known as Frederick Co., Maryland.
The marriage records of John and Rachel Wells Wright can not be located, and it is thought by some that they were burned with the Hopewell meeting records. Marriage is therefore approximated as 1737, a year before their first child's birth. Both John and Rachel were appointed overseers of their respective male and female Monthly Meetings in Monocacy in 1745. They were charter members of the Fairfax MM. Rachel Wells Wright is a very interesting person of her own right. She was a Quaker minister. This involved travel and stamina on her part. She was a very sturdy woman attested by the trials she endured plus the fact that she had three of her children in just a two year period.
What is even more astounding is that during this same two year period, John and Rachel Wright with 7 young children, William through John Jr. moved to the Cane Creek frontier, soon to become Orange County, North Carolina, which was over a distance of 300 miles. They received their letter to go to what was then Carvers Creek MM on May 29th, 1749. They were charter members of Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in Alamance Co., North Carolina when it was established 10m-1751. (C-575) Six more children were born to them in the Cane Creek area. All thirteen are listed in the Cane Creek records.
John and Rachel often lived in new, rather unsecured settlement areas. It appears that they moved near Camden, Kershaw Co., South Carolina in 1761/1762 to the Wateree Meeting in Camden, South Carolina, later to become the Bush River Monthly Meeting area that they helped establish. (C-250) He sought a land patent for land on Beaverdam on Sep 17, 1769 with an addition joining it in 1786. Parts of both of this land he granted to his son in law Big John. Later, Big John and Rachel then sold it to their son, Wright Coate.
According to Lewis Wright, John was a Ship Captain by trade. (C-610, 615) However, in his will, he bequeathed his shoemaking tools. Medlin's "Quaker Families of South Carolina and Georgia also states that John was a shoemaker by trade. He never tended to live on the ocean either, so I'd say the Ship Captain must apply to some other John Wright. (C-265, 866)
John was also a member of the first and second Provincial Congress of S.C. (C-588)
At an elderly age, he lived with his daughter, Susannah. He used to walk to and from the Quaker meetings. The family reunion in 1908 recalled that his daughter prevailed on him to take her horse on one occasion. When the meeting was over, he walked home. When he got there she asked him where the horse was and he replied "Dad, me Sue, I forgot her."
According to this same family reunion provided by Julia Henry, it states that he and his wife had seven sons and ten daughters, 4 of whom apparently aren't in the Quaker records.
He attended his grand-daughter, Sarah Cook's wedding in 1785. He wrote his will on September 17th, 1789. He named his wife, his deceased son, Joseph and Joseph's son, John; John and his son; Jesse; Nathan and his son William; his son-in-law, Isaac Hollingsworth which he left his shoe-maker tools, cow and calf; Joab Brooks, son of James Brooks; Joseph Cook, his grandson and son of Isaac Cook; William Hollingsworth, grandson and son of Isaac Hollingsworth; son-in-law Isaac Cook and Isaac's daughter Rachel. The witnesses were Isaac Hollingsworth, John Coate and Charity Cook. His Executor was his son Joseph Wright. His will was written in Newberry Co., South Carolina. (C-866, 2082)
His death was about 1790. He was living with his son-in-law, Isaac Hollingsworth's family, in the 1790 census. Before he died, he supposedly gathered all of his descendants which numbered 144 persons at the time. (C-945)
We visited John C. Wright and Rachel's Hometown of Newberry, SC. You can read about that
here. Their daughters Charity Wright Cook, and Susannah Wright Hollingsworth were
both notable Quaker Ministers of their time.
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| New Garden Monthly Meeting, Chester, Pennsylvania. |
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| Fairfax MM Record. |
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| Quaker Meeting Record of John Wright and Mary Wells' Births. |
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Rachel Wright nee Wells Burial Record.
|
James Wright
b. May 28th, 1753 d. October 9th, 1812
married for thirty-eight years on August 27th, 1774 to
Sarah Haworth
b. March 12th, 1755 d. February 9th, 1831
(7th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Cane Creek, NC. Newberry, SC. Green Co. TN. Clinton Co. OH.
James was born in Almance Co., NC according to the Cane Creek MM church records. (I believe Almance was the same as Orange Co. then.) He was disowned for an unknown reason when marrying his Quaker wife in 1774 by the Bush River MM. He and his wife had four sons and seven daughters. James still followed the faith and at 22 when the Revolutionary War started he moved to the back woods of Tennessee to avoid the war. He was again accepted back into the Quaker faith as a member of the New Hope MM in Green Co., Tenn. He moved with his family to Clinton Co., Ohio in 1808 where they were members of the Center MM and where he finished his days. (C-610)
Sarah Haworth is a
relation to the actress Rita Hayworth.
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| James Wright Birth Record |
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| Cane Creek, near a stream of the same name in Orange County, North Carolina. Established Oct 7, 1751. A Friend's meeting house is still active on the original Cane Creek site, located in (today's) Alamance county, North Carolina, near the village of Snow Camp, about 15 miles south of Graham, the county seat. Founded by James' parents. |
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| New Hope MM Record |
John Hominy Wright
b. March 17th, 1774 d. November 13th, 1851
married for forty-five years in 1796 to
Margaret Rees
b. April 7th, 1777 d. December 29th, 1867
(6th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Newberry, SC. Green Co. TN. Clinton Co OH. Randolph Co. IN
John Wright, was born 1775 in Newberry Co. S.C. and a few years later moved with his parents to Green Co. Tenn. There in 1795 he married Margaret Rees (Reese or Reece) who it is believed was the daughter of William and Charity (Dillon) Rees. In 1805 the New Hope MM gave him and his family a certificate to the Miami MM in Clinton Co. Ohio where they lived until 1818 when they settled in Randolph Co. Indiana. The 1850 Census shows John and Margaret Wright ages 75 and 73 as living in White River Township., Randolph Co. In. John died soon after the 1850 Census and was buried at Dunkirk, In. He was disowned for his marriage to Margaret, but must have been reaccepted as he they then got a family certificate to the Miami MM.
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| Margaret Rees Birth Record |
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| P.51 History of Randolph Co. IN |
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| 1850 Census lines 1-2 |
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| 1860 Census line 15 |
Abraham Wright
b. February 1798 d. May 8th, 1878
a triplet
married for thirty-nine years on July 10th, 1823 to
Sarah Cox
(Cherokee)
b. 1804 d. April 6th, 1862
(5th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Green Co. TN. Randolph, IN. Vermilion, IL. Green, IN. Howard IN. Warren IA.
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Abraham Wright 1850 Census line 2
|
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| Abraham Wright 1870 Census line 6 |
Memories: Sketch by Clemma Shetterly Legg
These children were born in Tennessee but in time they moved to Kentucky. The boys were given a fair education, as my Grandfather was a schoolteacher. They moved on to Indiana and settled in rich timber land, and made their homes. All three marrying and had families. Abraham was the name of mother’s father.
She was the youngest child of 12 children. She was named Sarah after her Mother. Her Mother passed away when she was 7 years old. Well, in time, Abraham sold his farm and moved to Warren County, Iowa, and making another home and lived there till he passed away in 1878. His brother Jacob came to Iowa. Some of his family came also and took care of him till he died. He was about 83 years old. Isaac was about 80 when he died and Grandfather Abraham was 79. So those triplets all lived to be old men. They were brought up and were very devout Quakers. I can remember him to say Thee, Thy. Also they said first day or fourth day etc. of the week, never by the name of the day and it was very puzzling until I learned. I can remember how I used to reverence Grandfather Wright, me living among the Methodist people where they spoke plain English, as they knew it.
Isaac Wright
b.1828 d. February 14th, 1879
married for thirty years on October 28th, 1849 to
Sarah Ann Leach
b. 1829 d. March 21st, 1884
(4th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Vermillion, IL. Howard, IN. Americus, KS. Benton, IA.
Update 2021: Farm Residence of Isaac Wright, 2 miles West of Americus, Lyon Co. KS
Update 2021: 1879, February 17th, The Evening News
Update 2021: 1879, February 21st, The Weekly News
John Charles Freemont Wright
b. March 23rd, 1852 d. February 26th, 1927
married for fifty-four years on November 19th, 1873
Elizabeth "Libby" Jane Curtis
b. April 4th, 1851 d. January 2nd, 1936
(3rd great-grandparents)
Places lived: Americus, KS.
Coultersville, IL.
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JCF Wright on the 1865 Kanas State Census
1875 Kansas State Census
1880 Census
1900 Census
1910 Census |
John C. F Wright family. Their son Curtis is standing, second to right.
Libby was a letter writer. I posted
five of her handwritten letters
here.
Curtis Wright
b. May 17th, 1885 d. March 5th, 1968
married for fifty-one years on August 18th, 1909 to
Martha "Pink" McAuley
b. September 18th, 1886 d. March 5th, 1961
(2nd great-grandparents)
Places lived: Americus, KS
Much of our family history was preserved by my hubby's 2nd great-grandmother, Martha. Born a hundred years before me, she left a record of family trees, stories, and photographs which I have gathered over the many years we I've been doing genealogy.
1920 Census
1925 Kansas State Census
1930 Census
Curtis
and Martha Wright's 50th Wedding Anniversary.
The newspaper announcements.
b. August 10th, 1911 d. April 11th, 1999
U.S Navy March 23rd, 1944 - December 10th, 1945
married for thirty-six years on August 10th, 1933
Arnetta "Irene" Sperry
b. July 16th, 1915 d. October 1st, 1969
(great-grandparents)
Places lived: Denver, CO. Salem, OR. Emporia, KS. Americus, KS.
Murray and Irene Wright
1940 Census
Murray Carroll Wright leave from Navy
Murray Carroll Wright's Obituary
Donald Wright
private as still living
married for fifty-nine years and counting on May 29th 1957 to
Margaret "JoAnn" McCrea
b. July 29th, 1941 d. May 2nd, 2017
(grandparents)
Places lived: Americus, KS. Elkhart, KS. Gila Bend, AZ. Rock Springs, WY.
2021 Update: Obituary of Grandma, Jodi Wright.
"Born on Tuesday, Died on Tuesday
Aged 75 years, 9 months, 3 days.
Margaret JoAnn "Jodi" Wright, 75, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, passed away on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at Mission at Castle Rock in Green River, Wyoming. A longtime resident of Rock Springs, Mrs. Wright died following a lengthy illness.
She was born on July 29, 1941 in Elkhart, Kansas, the daughter of Raymond McCrea and Margaret Ruth St. John McCrea.
Mrs. Wright attended schools in Elkhart and obtained her General Education Degree at Western Wyoming Community College.
She married Donald Eugene Wright in Elkhart, Kansas on May 29, 1957. They were a few weeks shy of their 60th wedding anniversary. Mrs. Wright was employed by the Westwinds Motel as a bookkeeper and manager. Her interests included, cooking, camping, bowling and was a participant for the past ten years in Sr. Olympics.
Survivors include her husband Donald Wright of Rock Springs; two sons, Kim Wright and wife Carin of Rock Springs and Kerry Wright and wife Cindy of Kennewick, Washington, one daughter; Kandy Horton and husband Ben of Ft. Bridger, Wyoming; one brother Jim McCrea of Evanston, Wyoming, one sister; Roxie Heins of York, Nebraska, eight grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews also survive.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one granddaughter Amanda Wright.
Cremation will take place and memorial services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the Church of Christ, 100 Clearview Drive, Rock Springs, Wyoming."
Kerry Don Wright
private as still living
married for thirty-eight years and counting on November 25th 1977 to
Cynthia "Cindy" Lee Dillon
private as still living
(parents/
my in-laws)
Cindy Dillon's birth notice
Kerry and Cindy Wright's wedding announcement
Cory Dillon Wright
private as still living
married for three years and counting on July 31st, 2013 to
Kiki Nakita Smith
private as still living
(
me)
Happy 345 years to the Wright Family.
Kiki Nakita
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