Wright

 

1 2 3 4
James John Nathan Charity
1671-1759 1716-1790 1758-c1805 1801-

 

What's New - April/May 2022
Completed work on extended families
for generations #2 and #3
All generation #1 children moved to
extended family pages

 

My Wright ancestors
GENERATION #1

01. James Wright [1] was born in 1671.  The following is quoted from a book on Quaker ministers:  "James Wright, an elder of the 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 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 peach of the church. He appeared, say his friends, concerned him, for some time before his illness, as one who had finished his day's work, and who was waiting for his change. He was 83 years old when he died."  The parents of James have not been confirmed and there are multiple reports on where he was born.   James married Mary Bowater, daughter of John Bowater and Mary Maunder on Feb. 26, 1706 in East Nottingham, Chester, PA.  Note that a Mary Davis is often listed as the mother of John, but Stewart Baldwin in the American Genealogist has determined that Mary Bowater must be the spouse to James Wright Sr. because of their being witnesses at different weddings of both sides of the family and other Bowater being witnesses at weddings of their children.   (Source: Internet)  Mary Bowater was born on August 25, 1685 in Chester Co., PA and died in March, 1764. 

The 11 children of James and Mary are:

1 Mary Wright (Jun 3, 1708 in MD - Oct 21, 1800 in VA)   
Married Josiah Ballinger (1697-1748) on Jun 30, 1727 in NJ   
Click here to view Mary's extended family        
2 Hannah Susannah Wright (Jan 24, 1709 in MD - Aug 5, 1760 in NC)
Married Henry Ballinger (1695-1774)   
Click here to view Hannah's extended family       
3 Thomas Wright (Jan 11, 1711 in PA - Aug 18, 1765 in VA)
Married Esther Hiatt on Dec 31, 1747 in VA.
Click here to view Thomas' extended family   
4 Martha Wright (Feb 14, 1713 in MD - 1794 in WV)
Married John Medenhall, III (1713-1771) in 1731
Click here to view Martha's extended family           
5 Elizabeth Wright (Nov 23, 1714 in MD - 1790 in VA)
Married George Matthews (1712-1762)
Click here to view Elizabeth's extended family
6 John C. Wright (See generation #2 below)
7 James Wright, Jr. (Nov 8, 1718 in PA - 1760) 
Married Lucy Carroll Bowater (c1720-c1760)
8 Isaac Wright (Mar 25, 1723 in PA - May 31, 1777 in VA)
Married Sidney Rogers Pickering (1725-1812)
Click here to view Isaac's extended family     
9 Anne Wright (Jan 29, 1725 in MD - Apr 27, 1801 in VA)
Anne married (1) James Adams McCool, Sr. (1709-1751) in 1742 in VA
Click here to view Anne's extended family          
10 Sarah Wright (Mar 15, 1727 in VA - 1775)
Married William Pickering (1726-1789) in 1749
Click here to view Sarah's extended family       
 
11 Lydia Wright (Aug 31, 1730 in VA - Jun 24, 1778 in VA)
Married Owen Rodgers (May 10, 1732 - Feb 8, 1811) in 1751
Click here to view Lydia's extended family      

 

GENERATION #2

02. John C. Wright, [1] son of James and Mary was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania on January 28,  1716. He removed from Nottingham Monthly Meeting to Monocacy MM in Prince George County, Maryland, where he married Rachel Wells. She was born in Anne Arundel county and was the daughter of Joseph and Margaret Wells. Both John and Rachel became Overseers of the Men's and Women's Meetings of Monocacy in 1745. They transferred to Hopewell.  In 1749, with the seven minor children born to them by that time, the Wright's were granted a certificate to Carvers Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina. There they became charter members in 1751 of Cane Creek MM in Orange County, NC. They became parents of six more children during their time in NC. According to the Quaker Records from Historic Camden, S. C., by Kirkland and Kennedy, they were present in Camden District by 1760 when John Wright appears as a witness to a deed. The Annals of Newberry mention three more children born to John and Rachel after they removed to South Carolina.  Reportedly, Bush River Monthly Meeting in Newberry County to which the Wright's belonged was established in 1770. However Cane Creek MM records Rachel Wright's transfer to Bush River in 1767. Their presence in SC prior to the time of Rachel's transfer suggests there was no meeting to which they might belong prior to 1767. It may also be presumed that the Wright's were instrumental in the formation of a meeting at Bush River.  During the migration of southern Quakers to the Ohio Valley in the early 1800's, almost all of John and Rachel Wright's surviving children and grandchildren became a part of that movement. A good number of them, particularly the Hollingsworth and Cook descendants, became Hicksites and Wilburites when they separated from the Orthodox Quakers.  John died on Jun 8, 1790 in Bush River, Newberry, SC. (Source: Internet)

The children of John Wright and Rachel Wells as listed in Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of Quakers are:

1 William Wright (Jan 2, 1736 in MD - 1793 in Orange Co., NC)
Married Leah Tansey (1739-1801) on May 15, 1758
Click here to view William's extended family        
2 Mary Wright (Jul 24, 1739 in MD - Jan 12, 1789 in Orange Co., NC)
Married Joel Brooks (1739-1764) on Sep 1756 in NC
I have 3 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Mary's extended family       
3 Joseph Wright (Dec 12, 1740 in MD - Jan 8, 1794 in Newberry, SC)
Married Charity Wells in 1761, daughter of Joseph Wells and Margaret Swanson.
I have 8 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Joseph's extended family     
4 Margaret Wright (Nov 12, 1741 in MD - Nov 13, 1822 in SC)
 I have 12 DNA matches from this family
Margaret married (1) Abraham Hollingsworth (1739-1835) in 1762
Margaret married (2) John Hammer (-1768) on Nov 3, 1768; he died at age 28
Margaret married (3) Joseph Hollingsworth (-) in 1768
 

Click here to view Margaret's extended family
5 Charity Wright (Feb 13, 1745 in MD - Nov 13, 1822 in Clinton Co., OH)
Married Isaac Cook (1743-1820)
I have 17 DNA matches from this family

Click here to view Charity's extended family
6 Rachel Wright (Nov 10, 1747 in MD - Sep 2, 1790 in SC)
Married "Big" John Coate (1748-1809) in 1765
I have 1 DNA match from this family
Click here to view Rachel's extended family     
7 John C. Wright (Dec 12, 1748 in MD - Nov 18, 1797 in Clinton, OH)
Married Jemima Haworth (1747-1828) in 1768
I have
21 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view John's extended family
8 Sarah Wright (Dec 23, 1749 - Nov 18, 1789)
Married James Brooks (1747-1790)
I have
3 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Sarah's extended family     
9 Hannah Wright (Sep 27, 1751 in SC - 1814 in SC)
Married John Gendron Palmer (1750-1819)
I have
2 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Hannah's extended family          
10 James Wright (May 28, 1753 in SC - Oct 9, 1812 in OH)
Married Sarah Haworth (1755-1831) in 1774
I have 21 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view James' extended family          
11 Susannah Wright (Sep 27, 1755 in NC - Jul 20, 1830) [1] [2]
Married Isaac Hollingsworth (1737-1809)
I have 7 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Susannah's extended family         
12 Elizabeth Wright (Dec 15, 1756 in Orange, NC - 1825 in Miami, OH)
Married Gabriel McCool (1751-1825)
I have
2 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Elizabeth's extended family
13 Nathan Wright (See Below)
14 Thomas Wright (Aug 8, 1761 in SC - Apr 30, 1835 in Winchester, IN)
Married Elizabeth Voss Jay (1769-1803)
I have
8 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Thomas' extended family     
15 Kezia Wright (1763 in Newberry, SC - 1789 in Miami, OH)
Married William Hanks (1762 - ) in 1786
I have 2 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Kezia's extended family     
16 Isaac Joel Wright (Jun 13, 1764 in Newberry Co., SC - Feb 20, 1844 in Howard Co, IN)
Married Susannah Haworth (1766-1844)
I have 7 DNA matches from this family
Click here to view Isaac's extended family
GENERATION #3

03. Nathan Wright , [1] son of John and Rachel was born on October 7, 1758 in Orange, North Carolina. 

"Nathan was married out of the order in 1778 and is in the Bush River MM records for that event on 7/25/1778. He got a certificate to Hopewell in 1793. His wife's name has been listed as Nancy, Elizabeth and Sarah Jay. It is not known for sure which one he was actually married to. It is still believed that he only had one marriage.  He is likely the Nathan Write listed in the 1790 census for the 96th District, Newberry Co., SC living in the same area as Big John Coats (p. 79). He was over 16, had 2 sons under 16 and 4 females in the household."   (Source: Linda J. Coate)

He married Sarah Elizabeth Jay , daughter of William Jay and Elizabeth Layton.  Sarah was born on April 27, 1761 in Bush River, Newberry Co., SC. and died abt. 1834 in Orange County, Indiana.  Nathan died after 1805 in Newberry County, South Carolina. 

Note: My father currently has nearly 100 DNA matches from people who descend directly from William Jay and Elizabeth Layton which supports Sarah's connection to the Wright family.

The children of Nathan and Sarah are:

1 William Wright (Abt. 1779 in Bush River, Newberry, SC - Bet. 1850-1860 in Bibb, AL) [1] p. 88
William married (1) Mary Mills on Oct 30, 1800 in Newberry, SC
William married (2) Marjorie Caroline Palmer in 1828
I have 39 DNA matches from this line
Click here to view William's extended family        
2 Elizabeth Wright (Abt. 1781 in Ninety Six District, SC - Aft. 1823) [1] pp. 88-89
Elizabeth married (1) William Cox (c1780-c1805) Abt. 1798 in Newberry Co., SC
Elizabeth married (2) John Webber Abt. 1811 in Newberry Co., SC
Click here to view Elizabeth's extended family
3 Hannah Wright (Abt. 1785 in Newberry, SC - Abt. 1848)
Married Joab Brooks (May 15, 1773 - Sep 12, 1850)
I have 1 DNA match from this line
Click here to view Hannah's extended family   
 
4 Right Wright (Abt 1793 in Bush River, Newberry, SC - Abt. 1859 Spartanburg Co., SC) [1] p. 88;90
I have 19 DNA matches from this line
Married Malinda Hilborn (abt 1796 in SC - Bet. 1860-1870) Abt. 1818 in Newberry Co., SC
Click here to view Right's extended family  
5 Mary Wright (Abt 1798 in Bush River, Newberry, SC - Aft 1860) [1] p. 88
Married John Brooks (abt. 1795 - Jan 11, 1831)
Note: John Brooks is buried next to Charity Wright's husband William Marshall in Union Joint Cemetery.  William died in 1837.

After 1840 nothing is known about Charity Wright except her children were then under the guardianship of Mary Brooks, sister of Charity as listed on the 1850 Census .  Mary Brooks would later appear on 2 1860 censuses (Ohio and Indiana ) living with Jane Marshall's family.

6 Charity Wright (See Below)
7 Nathan David Wright (May 16, 1802 in SC - Bet. 1875-1880 in Grant Co., IN) [1] pp. 88;91
I have 2 DNA matches from this line
Married Abigail Coppock (Dec 28, 1805 in TN - 1881) on Mar 10, 1829 in Miami, OH
Click here to view Nathan's extended family  
                         
GENERATION #4

04. Charity Wright, [1] daughter of Nathan and Sarah was born on June 10, 1801 in South Carolina.  We can help to establish that Charity's parents are Nathan Wright and Sarah Jay by a letter written on November 5, 1841 by Right Wright to sisters Mary Brooks or Charity Marshall (Page 1, Page 2, translation analysis document), images and analysis used with permission by Ronald E. Toops.  In addition to this letter, autosomal DNA analysis I have done show a strong connection between Charity and Nathan Wright with over 60 DNA matches from Nathan alone. 

Charity married William Marshall abt. 1817 in South Carolina.  Her family moved by covered wagon to Miami County, Ohio by 1825.  The cause of William's death in 1837 at age 38 is unknown.  The following year Miami County Records show that Charity was in court regarding William's will.  The 1840 Newton Township Census shows Charity and oldest son John as head of households.  It accounts for all of Charity's children on it.  After 1840 nothing is known about Charity except her children were then under the guardianship of a "Mary Brooks" as listed on the 1850 Census .  Mary Brooks would later appear on 2 1860 censuses (Ohio and Indiana ) living with Jane Marshall's family.  It is likely that Charity died of tuberculosis (consumption) between 1842-1850 as a letter written by Charity's brother Right in 1841 mentions that she had that.

I descend from their son Thomas Marshall who married Rhoda Furnas.

  

Surnames that married into my Wright family

BOWATER

JAY

MARSHALL

WELLS


Wright Documents
Right Wright letters and analysis (posted with permission by Ronald E. Toops)
Page 1, Page 2, translation analysis document

   

Migration pattern of my Wright family
VA -- PA -- NC -- SC -- OH

 

Wright DNA
My Dad currently shares DNA with 163 matches that have a listed descent from the Wright line.  This is based on some of their Ancestry.com trees, futher research I have done on their lines and triangulation done with other shared DNA matches.  There are also hundreds of additional Wright DNA matches that cannot be placed at this time but connect to this family.

The known matches include:

101 from John Wright/Rachel Wells
62 from Nathan Wright/Sarah Jay



 
In addition, my father currently has over 100 DNA matches from people who descend directly from the Jay family.  This helps to support Sarah Jay's connection to the Wright family.

 

My Descent From The Wright Line

Generation Father Mother
9 James Wright (1671-) Mary Bowater (1688-1764)
8 John C. Wright (1716-1790) Rachel Wells (1720-1771)
7 Nathan Wright (1758-) Sarah Jay (1761-)
6 William John Marshall (1799-1837) Charity Wright (1801-)
5 Thomas Marshall (1822-1870) Rhoda Furnas (1824-1906)
4 William Frank Marshall (1845-1909) Nancy Emily Crewse (1860-1936)
3 William Edward Marshall (1901-1981) Irene Sophia Schwiening (1908-1992)
2 William Edward Marshall
1 Tod Howard Marshall

This page was last updated on 12/28/23

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CONTACT : todmar2@bellsouth.net