William Henry DeCourcy Wright (1795 - 1864)

Born 9 Sep 1795 in Blakeford, Queen Anne's, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza Lea (Warner) Wright — married 1830 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Descendants

Died 25 Mar 1864 at age 68 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

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Biography

William was born in 1795. He passed away in 1864. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ William H. DeCourcy Wright obituary. Baltimore Sun. Baltimore MD. 26 March 1864.See Below.

DIED. On Friday morning, 25th instant, WILLIAM H. DeCOURCY WRIGHT, in the 69th year of his age. The friends of the family are invited to attend his funeral from his late residence, No. 109 N. Charles-street, on to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon, at three o'clock.

Papers at the Maryland Historical Society

WILLIAM HENRY DeCOURCY WRIGHT Papers, 1811-1864; n.d.

William Henry DeCourcy Wright (1795-1864) was the son of Robert and Sarah DeCourcy Wright. He served as U.S. Consul in Rio de Janeiro in 1825-1834, and later (on two separate occasions) as Charge d'Affaires ad interim. These activities are reflected in WHDC's incoming letters (Boxes 2-3) and in his consular papers (Box 4).

WHDC married Eliza Lea Warner [Wright?]; their children were WHDC, Jr. (1827-1845); Victoria (Levering) (dates unknown); Clintonia Gustavia (May Thomas) (1825-1902); Gustavia (d.1827); and Ella Lea (Thom) (1837-1861). WHDC was stepfather to Anna Wright (Hemsley) and Valeria Wright (Forbes), children of his wife's first marriage to [Samuel Wright]. A number of letters to WHDC from his children, stepchildren, and sons-in-law William May and J.P. Thom are included in WHDC's incoming letters (Boxes 2-3). His replies are filed with the papers of the recipient.

WHDC's incoming letters cover a wide range of topics, both business and family-related. When he was not serving as Consul, WHDC was a founder and partner (with Joseph Maxwell, an Englishman) of Maxwell, Wright & Company, a commercial house based in Rio de Janeiro. The firm was particularly active in the coffee trade. Some letters concern WHDC's business dealings; in addition, his friends and relatives frequently wrote to him for financial advice and/or assistance.

WHDC was at one time the owner of “Blakeford” in Queen Anne's County, Md.; some letters pertain to the management of that and other property holdings. Other letters discuss WHDC's travels to Rio de Janeiro in 1845 and to Europe in the 1850's and 1860's; the death of WHDC Wright, Jr. in 1845; and WHDC's confinement in McLean Asylum in 1854. WHDC suffered from depression, and letters in later years are increasingly concerned with his health. Other letters referring to WHDC's hospitalization may be found in the papers of Eliza Warner Wright.

Other items in the collection include a diary (1845) and a small number of household bills and receipts (1819-1864), filed in Box 3. Additional household bills and receipts may be found in the papers of WHDC's wife, Eliza Warner Wright.

WHDC's outgoing latters may be found among the papers of his wife, Eliza Warner Wright, his daughters, and his sons-in-law, and in the papers of A[nne] P[arker] Thom.