Parents of 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, VA
Dear List,
Recently published information suggests a tentative identification of the parents of 1805 (year of death) William Wright of Fauquier County, Virginia, (place of death).The previously known documentation will be give first and then the newly published information.
The previously known documentation was the following:
Attached to the DAR Application #696077 of Eloise Wilma Ramsey Maynard, Shaker Heights, Cleveland, Ohio, dated October 24, 1985, was a xerox copy of a Family Record prepared by William Wright, the son of 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, which listed the following:
"Family Record for William Wright
William Wright (my Father) was born in York County Virga. Novembr 1st 1740.
Elizabeth Wright, (his Wife, my Mother, & daughter of Wm Lloyd) was born below York Town near Hampton Virginia Novemr. the 7th 1750.
They married Decemr. the 25th 1768.
Wm Wright Decd. August 29th, 1806 near the upper end of Fauquier Co. at his own farm near the blue Ridge & was intered in Dermonts burying ground, near the spot his Mother was placed in, many years before; whose age when she Died ws said to be upwards of 80 years.
Elizabeth Wright Decd. July 25. 1830. & was Intered at the same place.
William Wright, (son of Wm. & Elizth. Wright) was born in York Town Virginia Novemr. 10th 1769.
. . . .
[In a different handwriting]
William Wright Son of Willm and Elizabeth Wright Died august the 27th 1834 and was intered by the last above”
This record clearly establishes the birth of 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, Virginia, on November 1, 1740, in York County, Virginia, his marriage to Elizabeth Lloyd on December 25, 1768, and their presence in Yorktown, York County, Virginia, on November 10, 1769.
In addition, Charles Parish, York County, Virginia, History And Registers by Landon C. Bell listed the birth of Nancy Wright, daughter of William and Elizabeth Wright, on March 3, 1778:
“Wright, Nancy, dau. Of William and Elizabeth, b. March 3, bap. April 17, 1778.(“Ykhpton”).”
This record indicates that 1805 William Wright and Elizabeth (Lloyd) Wright were still residing in York County in 1778.
On September 5, 1780, at Fauquier County, Virginia, D.B. 7/300 William Wright purchased 175 acres of land from Hezekiah and Henrietta Turner and resided there for the raminder of his life.
The newly published evidence is the following:
York County, Virginia, Land Records 1729-1763 by Mary Marshall Brewer listed the following at page 153:
"17 Sep 1753. William Wright of York Co with the consent of his mother doth put himself apprentice to Nicholas Powell of the Town of York taylor to learn his art or trade till he shall come to the age of 21 . . . . Wit: Richard Ambler. Ackn 18 Sep 1753 by the parties. Attest: Thos Everard clerk.(Bk5:pg559)"
Since 1805 William Wright was born on Nov 1, 1740, in York County, Virginia, he would have been 12 years old at the time of this order, exactly the right time to be apprenticed.We also know that 1805 William Wright's son William was born on Nov 10, 1769, at Yorktown, Virginia, which is where the apprenticeship was made.I think this is sufficient circumstantial evidence to identify the William Wright of this court record as 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, Virginia.
Although his mother is not named, the listing of her as consenting indicates that 1805 William Wright's father had died before 1753.The estate administration would have been sometime between shortly before 1805 William's birth or approximately 1739 and the date of the court order of September 1753.
The one estate administration in that time period that I have located so far is that of John Wright, whose will dated Nov 14, 1751, and probated on Nov 20, 1752, at W.B. 20, page 273, listed the following family in the order given below:
Wife: Ann
Children:
1. William,
2. John,
3. Dudley,
4. Benjamin,
5. Elizabeth Wright,
these five children referred to as born of his body of his wife Ann and sharing equally in his estate,
6. Ann (Wright) Morland, her heirs, she apparently having died,
7. Edward Wright,
8. Mary (Wright) Morris,
9. Sarah (Wright) Marshall,
10. Elizabeth (Wright) Morland, wife of Young Morland, and
11. Lawrence Wright.
all given one shilling sterling each.
While this document alone does not identify the son William Wright named as 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, one piece of circumstantial evidence supporting that identification is the following court order form York County, Virginia, Land Records:
"18 Jun 1753.Dudley Wright son of John Wright decd of York Co hath with the consent, approbation and good liking of the court and of his own free will and consent put himself an apprentice to Peter Sandefur of Warwick Co bricklayer and to live with him until he shall come to the age of 21 (being 16 the 21 Apr last) to learn the art and practice of the bricklayers trade . . . .Wit: Matthew Langston, Joseph Stroud Junr.Ackn 18 Jun 1753 by the parties. Attest: Thos Everard clerk. (Bk5:pg551"
The listing of the children in 1752 John Wright's will suggests children from two marriages, with the children from the second marriage listed first and described as born of his wife Ann and given equal shares in his estate after his wife’s death and the children from the first marriage listed second and given one shilling each.If the children were listed with the youngest first, an unusual practice, then 1805 William Wright would be the youngest child and would fit at age 12 before his older brother Dudley who was age 16. And the apprenticeship of both young sons would be appropriate after the death of their father.
While further research is obviously necessary, I think this material presents a tentative identification of the parents of 1805 William Wright of Fauquier County, Virginia, as 1752 John Wright of York County and his second wife Ann (_____) Wright.
I would much enjoy hearing from anyone with evidence or documentation inconsistent with (or consistent) with the above analysis.
Robert N. Grant
15 Campo Bello Court
Menlo Park, CA 94025