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James Wright (1695 - 1746)

James Wright
Born in Englandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at age 50 in Augusta Co, Virginia, British Americamap
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Contents

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.[1] It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Death

Death:
Date: JAN 1746
Place: Augusta Co, Virginia, British America[2]

User ID

User ID: 3243E0702FDC43F68CB1298EC72585E9575A

Data Changed

Data Changed:
Date: 7 JUN 2014

Prior to import, this record was last changed 7 JUN 2014.

Christening

Christening:
Date: 9 JUN 1695
Place: Elm, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom[3]

Event

Event:
Type: Land
Date: 16 AUG 1756
Place: Augusta Co, Virginia, British America[4]

Sources

  1. Wright-11817 was created by P Bennett through the import of Paula Tree 6-12-14.ged on Jun 12, 2014. This comment and citation can be deleted after the biography has been edited and primary sources are included.
  2. Source: #S88 Page: Internet; 6 June 2014; Online Story TMPLT FIELD Name: AccessType VALUE Internet FIELD Name: AccessDate VALUE 6 June 2014 FIELD Name: CitationDetail VALUE Online Story Quality or Certainty of Data: 2 QUAL Source: D Information: S EVID I Data: Text: The land upon which the Wright House was built was the first to be settled in this part of Pennsylvania. Two brothers, Joshua and James Wright, laid claim with a Virginia title to 800 acres in 1764 and erected a crude cabin about 200 yards from the present location of the house. CONT CONT These two young men had been in the vicinity with Colonel Boquet that year while serving with an expedition from the Cumberland Valley against the Indians in what is now Ohio. This was three years before the signing of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, with the Indians ceding the land to the white man. CONT CONT James and Joshua Wright were Virginians of Scotch-Irish descent. They were loyal to the Virginia colony during the boundary dispute with Pennsylvania and, thus ignored the Pennsylvania law prohibiting settlement of the land west of the mountains. Their boyhood home had been on the north fork of the Shenandoah River near Harrisonburg, VA. CONT CONT It is in the Augusta County records that the Wright name first appears in the annals of American history. Their grandfather, James Wright, died in 1746 leaving behind so little in worldly goods that the sheriff dispensed with probate court proceedings and sold every thing. But, in so doing, he overlooked a claim on Smith Creek, also near Harrisonburg, and this passed to the son, John Wright, a few years later. CONT CONT John Wright, the father of James and Joshua, died in 1762 but in the years from 1746 until 1762 he had become quite prosperous, having entered into many land deals. At the time of his death he held notes on ten of his neighbors, had built and operated a grist mill and had extensive land holdings. CONT CONT The Wright family which James and Joshua left behind in Harrison-burg in 1764 had consisted of John and Lydia Wright, their four sons, Abraham, James, Joshua and John and their six daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Janet, Esther and Lydia. CONT CONT During their childhood and youth the boys and their companions had been fenced in by the shadows of the mountains to the east and west. Life on the frontier meant living in peace with nature along with knowing and using all of its blessings. As boys they found the mountains a constant challenge, desperately wanting to climb them. They wanted to explore the lands beyond the mountains. They dreamed of the free land making them wealthy men. CONT CONT Upon reaching their late teens they began, during the inactive seasons of farm life, to travel up and down the Shenandoah Valley, as far north as the Cumberland Valley listening to the stories of older explorers, making friends with them and looking for a chance to climb those mountains. Opportunity came with the Boquet Expedition into Ohio against the Indians in 1764 and they took it. Joshua, on this trip, became acquainted with Charity Sauns (later to be his wife). CONT CONT So it was, while on this expedition, they got their first glimpse of the land in Washington County. What they may have seen, in the forested wilderness on Peters Creek, that set it apart from all other land, is a secret they took with them. Here they decided to settle. They built a cabin, cleared a field and planted a crop before entering their claim for a patent back in the Virginia colony. The following year (1765) they both returned to Peters Creek and their cabin, bringing with them Joshua's bride, Charity Sauns, and established their permanent home on the 800 acre tract. CONT CONT Charity Sauns was the granddaughter of John Harris, the ferry boat operator on the Susquehanna River, the founder of Harrisburg, PA. Her name is recorded in the Pennsylvania archives for her heroic efforts to same some children from roving bands of Indians. In this period today of the Women's Rights Movement, it might be well to pause for a moment to imagine what motives might influence this young girl to leave a comparatively comfortable home in a civilized community for a life of danger in the wilderness. Did she prefer the forest cabin to the family house? Did she want to explore the unknown? Or was love so powerful that she chose a one-way ticket west to retain it? CONT CONT Whatever the motive, it achieved its purpose. It required team effort to settle the west, to build a home, to clear a farm and to raise a family. Evidently Joshua knew how to clear the forest and plant the farm and it is assumed that he built a better home than the original settler's cabin. Over the next ten years he became the father of Agnes, Lydia and Enoch. That these children reached maturity as strong and active persons is a credit due to Charity. And that they were educated in the ways of Christian living is a tribute to her wisdom and energy. The success of her son in later life bears eloquent testimony to the fact that she taught him the family's history and the economic facts of life. CONT CONT The bonds of matrimony somewhat curbed the wanderlust of Joshua. He remained on Peters Creek while James continued roving. Records show that Joshua did return to Harrisonburg in 1772 to sell a parcel of land he had inherited from his father. He also made several trips to Kentucky with his brother and several neighbors to acquire some of the fertile lands of that new territory. Little else is known of his activities during this eleven year period, but after Yohogania Count-house was established in 1776, at what is now Floreffe, his name appears quite frequently, testifying to his activity as a community leader. In October 1776, he was one of the Justices of the Peace and an ex-officio Judge of the Court. In 1779 Joshua bought from his brother James all his share of their joint purchase. After the sale, James Wright went to Kentucky where he later was killed by the Indians. CONT CONT In 1783, Joshua Wright, while on his way with two other men to New Orleans with a boat load of provisions, was attacked by the Indians who killed the two companions. Joshua was taken captive to a point near Sandusky, Ohio where he was burned at the stake. Virginia records indicate that Joshua was the owner of four tracts of land of approximately 400 acres each in Washington County. CONT CONT Enoch Wright, Joshua's only son was born in 1776 and was just7 years old when his father was killed. He became a man of influence and wealth, known as Squire Wright, serving as County Commissioner and as Justice of the Peace for thirty years. He married Rachel James, a member of the family that founded James Chapel Church. CONT CONT Enoch was finally persuaded to participate in the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794 even though he was in favor of paying the tax imposed and reluctantly united himself on the side of the rebellion. He was a staunch member of the Peters Creek Baptist Church in Library and in 1823 he gave the land and means to build a church and cemetery nearer his home. The church was known as Wright's Chapel and was open to all denominations. Enoch and his wife both died on the old farm, he in 1846 and Rachel twenty years later, at the age of 88. CONT CONT Enoch and Rachel Wright were the parents of only one child, a son Joseph, born in 1794, who attended Canonsburg College and later became a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Catherine Hopkins in 1814 and to them were born eleven children. CONT CONT Except to list his activities and acquisitions, historians within the Wright family paid slight attention to Enoch Wright so that little is known of him from this source. His will, written partly in his handwriting and dated March 30, 1846, (just 16 days prior to his death) gives a portrait of a man near death, giving thought to the individual members of his family. It also raises some interesting questions about the relationship between members of a family. CONT CONT Providing for his wife, Rachel James Wright, first, was natural. How he provided for her, however, might be considered justifiable reasons for the "women's lib" movement of today. Yet, in the legal attitude of that day, he definitely took care of her needs; shelter and heat, food and an annual income. By appointing three grandsons (Joshua, age 24; Enoch, 22 and Joseph, 18) to be responsible for any future needs, he actually set up a trust fund and caretakers. CONT CONT Joshua was given the farm of 208 acres and the house where he and his grandparents lived together. Was this the "Wright House" as we know it? Was it part of the family homestead dating back to 1747 CONT CONT Enoch was given a farm of 259 acres on which he and several tenants lived. Joseph was given a farm of 228 acres occupied by Benjamin Higby (Higbee) as a tenant. CONT CONT Hopkins Wright, born in 1836, was given a small farm of 29 acres, on which James Sheets was a tenant. His father was appointed a trustee for this land and each of his three older brothers were to pay him $1000 each upon his reaching the age of 21. Today, Hopkins would be considered an "exceptional child". The above land had all been surveyed in 1840 in preparation for the will. CONT CONT The two oldest granddaughters had been given land by a previous deed. Lucinda, the third granddaughter had married John Storer and had died at the age of 25 leaving a son, Thomas Richard Storer and by deed had conveyed to this grandson land as his inheritance. Margaret Anne, Mary Ellen and Charity (the three youngest grandchildren) were to receive equal shares of the proceeds from the sale of the Allegheny County property, located in the Diamond and on the south side of the Monongahela River when sold by the executors, at their discretion. The balance of the estate was to be divided equally among Joseph Wright and his three sons, Joshua, Enoch and Joseph with Joshua and Enoch the executors. CONT CONT An analysis of the persons mentioned in the will reveals Enoch was attached to his family and, evidently very proud of all his grandchildren. Doesn't it seem a little puzzling to find so little given his son, Joseph? Could he have been aware of the physical condition of his son so that he was afraid that, upon his death, the estate could have gone to the Hopkins family, or to the Methodist Church? He had stayed a member of the Peters Creek Baptist Church of Library, PA, even though his son had caused him to give the land and building, he had readied for the Baptist or non-denominational, to the Methodist Church. CONT CONT What quirk of fate caused the distribution of land by Enoch Wright to be thwarted and all the land of the family estate in Western Pennsylvania to end up in the possession of the youngest granddaughter, Charity Wright Anderson? CONT CONT Rev. Joseph Wright was quite a scholar and was compiling a dictionary at the time of his death in 1851. Sometime earlier he had influenced his father to deed the chapel to the Methodist Church with the provision that "no slaveholding or pro slavery preacher be ever permitted to officiate, lecture or preach in said house". CONT CONT In 1854, the church was badly damaged by a tornado, which blew off the roof and spread the walls. All the money for repairs was collected the day after the stormby David B. Connelly of the Mingo Church from the neighboring congregations, who subscribed promptly and liberally as a sort of Thanksoffering for their own escape from disaster. After nearly 100 years of continuous service, the old church was torn down and the present Wright's Church was constructed a short distance away on the opposite side of Peter's Creek. CONT CONT The old cemetery at the original site contains many weather worn markers, among them being those of Enoch Wright, his wife Rachel, Rev. Joseph Wright, his wife Catherine, and many of their descendants, as well as, seven war veterans. CONT CONT Charity Wright Anderson, the youngest daughter of Rev. Joseph Wright, was a faithful and active member of the church for most of her 85 years. She played the organ for many years and was especially interested in the youth of the church. The electric pipe organ currently being used in the church was dedicated to her memory when it was installed. Her husband, Dr. David M. Anderson, was a native of Beaver County, PA. In the early gold excitement in California he accompanied his father to that state, going from there to South America. He remained there two years and began the study of medicine during his stay in that country. He returned to this state about the time that Fort Sumter was attacked and entered the Western Army in the capacity of surgeon. He remained in the service until the close of the Civil War when he went to New York City and graduated from Bellerue Medical College. He came to Peters Township, married Charity Wright, and began the practice of medicine here. He was also interested in coal operations, his mines lying along the line of the Pittsburgh Southern Railroad. They were parents of two children, Alexander Hopkins Anderson, an attorney, who served in the Spanish American War, and Elizabeth Eleanor, who married David Rees, a native of Wales. CONT CONT At the death of Elizabeth Rees (the daughter of Charity Wright Anderson and the granddaughter of Rev. Joseph Wright) approximately 33 acres of woodland directly behind the cemetery and extending to the village of Hackett, was bequeathed to the church. This tract of land contains virtually virgin white oak and the will stipulates that the trees are not to be cut; until 50 years after her death. CONT CONT Mrs. Rees summarized her feelings about the church in this way: "We may have no records, but we cannot say that we have no history. Faithful service, patient adherence to duty, sacrifice of time and comfort, the torch of the faith held aloft, the fires ever burning on the alter. Human minds may forget and human pens neglect to write down, but when the greatest book of all is opened, the record will be there. The results are with God." CONT
  3. Source: #S87 Page: Internet; 6 June 2014; James Wright TMPLT FIELD Name: AccessType VALUE Internet FIELD Name: AccessDate VALUE 6 June 2014 FIELD Name: ItemOfInterest VALUE James Wright FIELD Name: Annotation Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 QUAL Source: D Information: P EVID D Data: Text: Name: James Wright CONT Gender: Male CONT Birth Date: 14 May 1695 CONT Christening Date: 9 Jun 1695 CONT Christening Place: Elm, Cambridgeshire, England CONT Age at Christening: 0 CONT Father's Name: Edward Wright CONT Mother's name: Emme
  4. Source: #S84 Page: Viewed; 6 June 2014; John Wright TMPLT FIELD Name: AccessType VALUE Viewed FIELD Name: AccessDate VALUE 6 June 2014 FIELD Name: ItemOfInterest VALUE John Wright FIELD Name: CreditLine Quality or Certainty of Data: 2 QUAL Source: D Information: S EVID I Data: Text: Name: James, Sr. Wright CONT Location: Augusta Co., VA CONT Notes: This land record was originally published in "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County" by Lyman Chalkley. CONT Remarks: Patent to James Wright, the elder, 16 Aug 1756, who died intestate, and tract descended to said John Wright, the surviving heir of James, and was devised to James Wright, Jr. by John Wright, deceased. CONT Description: Deceased landowner CONT Book: 21-359
  • Source: S84 Abbreviation: Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 Title: "Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850," database, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com (: accessed ), . Subsequent Source Citation Format: "Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850," database . BIBL "Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850." Database. Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. : . Text: Ancestry.com. Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: CONT Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965. Originally published in 1912. CONT Crozier, William Armstrong, ed. Virginia County Records - Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800. Being transcriptions from the original files at the County Court House of wills, deeds, administrators' and guardians' bonds, marriage licenses, and lists of revolutionary pensioners. New York, NY: Fox, Duffield & Co., 1905. CONT The will abstracts for Isle of Wight and Norfolk counties were taken from microfilmed copies of the original Will Books. Some of these records may be found at the Family History Library as well as other libraries and archives. The originals may be found at the appropriate county courthouses. CONT For individual sources please see the Notes section listed with each record. Note: This data set contains information on approximately 135,000 individuals mentioned in abstracts of deeds, marriages, and wills from Augusta, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, and Spotsylvania Counties in the State of Virginia, USA. TMPLT TID 239 FIELD Name: DatabaseTitle VALUE Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 FIELD Name: ItemType VALUE Database FIELD Name: WebsiteOwner VALUE Ancestry.com FIELD Name: WebsiteTitle VALUE Ancestry.com FIELD Name: URL Page: Viewed; 6 June 2014; John Wright TMPLT FIELD Name: AccessType VALUE Viewed FIELD Name: AccessDate VALUE 6 June 2014 FIELD Name: ItemOfInterest VALUE John Wright FIELD Name: CreditLine Quality or Certainty of Data: 2 QUAL Source: D Information: S EVID I Note: Proves father, James Wright, and son James Wright. Data: Text: Name: John Wright CONT Location: Augusta Co., VA CONT CONT Notes: This land record was originally published in "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County" by Lyman Chalkley. CONT CONT Remarks: Patent to James Wright, the elder, 16 Aug 1756, who died intestate, and tract descended to said John Wright, the surviving heir of James, and was devised to James Wright, Jr. by John Wright, deceased. CONT CONT Description: Deceased landowner CONT Book: 21-359
  • Source: S87 Abbreviation: England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906 Title: Genealogical Society of Utah, "British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition," Christening Records, Ancestry.com (: accessed ). Subsequent Source Citation Format: Utah, "British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition," Christening Records, Ancestry.com. BIBL Utah, Genealogical Society of. "British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition." Christening Records. Ancestry.com. : . Text: Source Citation: Place: Elm, Cambridgeshire, England; Date Range: 1539 - 1876; Film Number: 1040577. CONT Source Information: CONT Ancestry.com. England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Genealogical Society of Utah. British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, copyright 2002. Used by permission. Note: This database contains information extracted from birth and christening records from various counties in England and Wales. The records date from 1530 to 1906. The records included in this database do not represent all localities in England and Wales and for any given area, coverage (both records within a year and total year range) may not be complete. Some parishes and counties are more complete than others TMPLT TID 435 FIELD Name: ItemAuthor VALUE Genealogical Society of Utah FIELD Name: ItemTitle VALUE British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition FIELD Name: ItemType VALUE Christening Records FIELD Name: WebsiteTitle VALUE Ancestry.com FIELD Name: URL FIELD Name: CreditLine
  • Source: S88 Abbreviation: The Wright Family by Higbee excerpt Title: Eileen Higbee, "The Wright Family," Transcribed story from book, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com (: accessed ); genraider Subsequent Source Citation Format: Higbee, "The Wright Family," . BIBL Higbee, Eileen. "The Wright Family." Transcribed story from book. Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. : . Text: genraideroriginally shared this CONT 24 Oct 2010story CONT THE WRIGHT FAMILY By Eileen Higbee , Church Historian TMPLT TID 145 FIELD Name: ItemAuthor VALUE Eileen Higbee FIELD Name: ItemTitle VALUE The Wright Family FIELD Name: ItemType VALUE Transcribed story from book FIELD Name: WebsiteCreator VALUE Ancestry.com FIELD Name: WebsiteTitle VALUE Ancestry.com FIELD Name: URL FIELD Name: CreditLine VALUE genraider




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Rejected matches › James Wright (abt.1886-1955)

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