Jennie Edith Wright (abt. 1880 - 1946)

Born about 13 Mar 1880 in Wendell, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Burnside Rhonoke Davis — married 11 Dec 1905 (to 28 Jul 1906) in Wendell, Wendell, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Apr 1946 at about age 66 in Greenfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA

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Biography

Jennie was born to Dwight Wright and Ellen Taylor on March 13th, 1880 in Wendell, Massachusetts ^[1].

She was involved first with William Wright, a butcher, and had one child with him. Their son, Henry, was born on April 15th, 1903 ^[2]. It is believed that they were married and then divorced shortly after, but the lack of a marriage certificate questions if they were ever legally married. William passed away in 1920 and Jennie is mentioned as William Wright's widow in several records.

A record for daughter born to Jennie on July 7th, 1903 exists although the timing is strange and no father is listed ^[3].

She was then married to Burnside Davis on December 11th, 1905 in Wendell ^[4]. Burnside claimed just over a month later that he married Jennie under duress and filed a petition for annulment which he won (See below). However, it seems that Jennie became pregnant by him before the marriage and Barnard Leonard, who would later go by his mother's maiden name as Raymond Lawrence Wright, was born. He was born on April 28th, 1906 ^[5].

Jennie and her two sons moved in with her parents in Wendell sometime before the 1910 census ^[6].

Jennie then had Newman Dwight on May 25th, 1914. The father was Jesse Buckley ^[7]. It is unclear whether or not the couple legally married at any point.

The family lived in Westborough around 1920 before moving back to Greenfield in 1930 ^{[8] [9]}. In 1940, Jennie lived with her eldest son, Harold in Greenfield ^[10].

Jennie passed away on April 21st, 1946 in Greenfield. She was buried in the Locust Hill Cemetery ^[11].

Marriage Annulment

"FRANKLIN COUNTY GREENFIELD Petitions for Annulment of Marriage. Two petitions for the annulment of marriages filed at the office of the clerk of courts yesterday are the first filed since Clifton L. Field has been clerk of the superior court for the county. Burnhill R. Davis of Erving, an employee of the Millers Falls company has, through an attorney, given reasons why his marriage to Miss Jennie Wright of Farley should be annulled. He states in the petition that while at work December 11, 1905, he was visited by the selectmen of Wendell, George A. Fleming, Andrew Baker and Charles Ballou, with a constable, and confinement in a jail was threatened if he did not marry Miss Wright. He further states that permission to visit counsel in Greenfield was denied. The marriage ceremony was performed by Nelson D. Plum, town clerk and justice of the peace. Mr. Davis alleges that a marriage license was issued by Mr. Plumb, although he (Davis) was only 19 and that his age was given as 20 in the license. The grounds for seeking an annulment are that the restraint exercised was illegal and the license and marriage are illegal. It is understood that Davis and his wife have not lived together since their marriage. [article continues to describe a second man's petition for annulment]" (January 24th, 1906) ^[12]

"...The case of Burnside R. Davis of Millers Falls against Jennie Davis, in which Mr. Davis sought to have their marriage annulled, was contested by both sides with much earnestness. They were married in Wendell, December 11, 1905, by Nelson D. Plumb, town clerk, and it was urged by the libelant that he was forced to the marriage by the overseers of the poor of Wendell. A child was born last March. The couple have never lived together since the marriage. The overseers of the poor went to the shop of the Millers Falls company, where Davis was employed, on the day of the wedding, and after some parley Davis accompanied them back to Wendell, where the marriage took place. A constable was with the overseers. Mr. Plumb testifies that he asked the libelant if he married the woman of his own free will, and was told that he did. Davis is 20, and the woman, whose name was Jennie Wright before her marriage, is 25. Davis, in substance, said on the witness stand that he was frightened into marrying the woman. R. W. Irwin, who appeared with C. N. Stoddard for the libelee, argued that the marriage was a valid one and that the contest raised was really between the towns of Wendell and Erving. W. A. Davenport, counsel for the libelant said he contended that the boy was forced to marry the girl. Judge Hitchcock said he had no trouble in finding that there was duress and criticised the action of the Wendell overseers in going to Davis as they did, taking a constable with them. This was no part of their business. At that interview they meant to get the boy to marry the girl. To get the girl off the town of Wendell on to the town of Erving seemed to the court the bottom of the whole business. Judge Hitchcock then declared the marriage null and void..." (July 28th, 1906) ^[13]

Obituary

"Mrs. Jennie Wright: Greenfield, April 22 - The funeral of Mrs. Jennie Wright, 66, who died yesterday at her home, 63 Meridian street, will take place Tuesday at 2.30 at the Ralph Shepard funeral home, with Rev John B Whiteman of St James' Episcopal church officiating. Burial will be in Locust Hill cemetery at Montague. Mrs Wright was born at Wendell March 13, 1880, the daughter of Dwight and Ellen (Taylor) Wright but had lived here since girlhood. She was the widow of William Wight. She leaves three sons, Harold H and Newman D of Greenfield, and Raymond L Wright of South Royalston; five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews." ^[14].

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH6J-W1J : 8 September 2017), Jennie E Wright in household of Dwight Wright, Wendell, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district ED 263, sheet 267A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,533.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXFD-MCP : 17 November 2020), Jennie E. Wright in entry for Henry Wright, 15 Apr 1903, Wendell, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #P 59 n 1, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,057,434.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXFD-XRX : 17 November 2020), Jennie E. Wright in entry for Ella May Wright, 07 Jul 1903, West Springfield, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #P 207 n 103, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,057,434.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4WB-WQR : 24 May 2018), Burnside Davis and Jennie Wright, 11 Dec 1905; citing Wendell, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,057,622.
5. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXNT-WCS : 27 October 2020), Jennie E. Wright in entry for Barnard L. Davis, 1906. (This is actually a birth record.)
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2JL-4JS : accessed 26 January 2021), Jennie Wright in household of Dwight N Wright, Wendell, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 521, sheet 2B, family 37, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 589; FHL microfilm 1,374,602.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXVB-G3S : 27 October 2020), Jennie Wright in entry for Infant Buckley, 1914.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF9T-LZL : 8 January 2021), Jenni E Right, 1920.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQGS-NNT : accessed 26 January 2021), Jennie E Wright, Greenfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 13, sheet 12B, line 58, family 274, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 904; FHL microfilm 2,340,639.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4X5-W8S : 10 January 2021), Jennie E Wright in household of Harold Wright, Greenfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 6-22, sheet 1B, line 41, family 14, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1591.
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 January 2021), memorial page for Jennie Edith Wright (13 Mar 1880–21 Apr 1946), Find a Grave Memorial no. 68663954, citing Locust Hill Cemetery, Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by R. W. Wright (contributor 47464614). Found via https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68663954/jennie-edith-wright
12. ↑ Uploaded online by Ancestry.com user: jkw59
13. ↑ Uploaded online by Ancestry.com user: jkw59
14. ↑ Springfield Republican Newspaper. Published: April 23, 1946; page 9. Uploaded to Ancestry.com by user: jkw59.