Thomas Wright, immigrant
  b: England
  d: 21-29/Apr/1670

Father: John? Wright
Mother:

Spouse:

Child-1: Thomas
          2: Mary
          3: James
          4: Lydia
          5: Samuel - b: ~1634
                            d: 13/Feb/1690 - Wethersfield Twp., Hartford Co., CT
                           m: Mary Butler - 29/Sep/1659 - Wethersfield Twp., Hartford Co., CT
          6: Joseph

Biographical Details:

x
Source Notes and Citations:
x
Additional Citations:
x. Savage 4, p 660: THOMAS, Wethersfield 1639,. may have been earlier at Watertown, or other Mass. settlem. brot. from Eng. w. and ch. sev. perhaps, had more on this side of the water. For sec. w. by wh. he had no ch. he took Margaret, wid. of John Elson (wh. had been wid. of Hilliard, perhaps Hugh, and had s. Benjamin, Job, and John H.) He was much engag. 1658 in the controv. a. Rev. John Russell; and d. Apr. 1670. Of his ch. Samuel, James, Thomas, Joseph, Lydia, it is very diffic. to make any arrangem. of dates. Chapin, p. 179, adds to these a Mary. The wid. d. 1671; and the d. Lydia d. bef. he came to W. m. Joseph Smith.[:ITAL]

Title: Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England,
Volume: Vol. 4
Abbrev: Genealogical Dictionary, vol. 4
Author: Savage, James
Publication: Genealogical Publishing Company, Boston, 1860-1862
Page: p 660 (April 1670)
 

x. aboard the "Susan and Ellen"

Title: History of the Wright Family who are Descendants of Samuel
Wright (1722-1789) of Lenox, Mass., with Lineage Back to Thomas
Wright (1610-1670) of Wethersfield, Conn. (Emigrated 1640) and
Showing a Direct Line to John Wright, Lord of Kelvedon Hall,
Essex, England
Abbrev: History of the Wright Family
Publication: The Williamson-Sawyer Co., Denver, 1910
Page: p 23 (1639/40)
 

x. member of the Mass. Court of Assistants before the Colonial Gov't was established at Boston BEF 1639

x. History of the Wright Family, pp 42-43 Will of Thomas Wright, Emigrant. Inventory £101-15/. Taken Apr 29th, 1670, by James Treat--Samuel Boreman--John Ryley.
The last will and testament of Thomas Wright, Sen. of Wethersfield, is as followeth: i do give unto my dear wife, Margaret, after my decease, all the provisions (that are for meat and drink) now in my possession. also the use of such movables as she shall think needful for her use during her life. My will is that the Division that I have formerly made of my land unto my sonnes shall stand firm, only in yt my will I give unto my sonn Sam'l but halfe my six acre Lott in ye meadow, together with foure Acres in ye swamp, which he now enjoys, all which is in consideration of five Acres of Land which I had purposed to have given him upon the Island.  I doe give unto my sonn Joseph, halfe my six Acre Lott in ye meadow, that is to say, the north side of ye Lott, My will is that after all my debts are paid out of my estate, there shall be an equal division made of ye remainder amongst my children.  I doe alsoe make my sonn Thomas sole Executor of yt my will, and doe desire my Loving ffriend, Sam'l Hale, Sen'r, to be helpful to him herein.  Thomas also gave to his wife Margeret, "All the linen that I have in my possession that was of her own spinning."[:ITAL]

x. Autobiography of W.S. Tyler, DD, LLD, pp 278-279
. THOMAS WRIGHT, SR., the Wethersfield settler, was baptised in England, November 19, 1610. Stiles' Anc. Wethersfield, II, 850 (after refering to various authorities which somewhat conflict q. v??) gives a rather doubtful English ancestry of Thomas as follows: JOHN WRIGHT, ESQ., LORD of Kelvedon Manor, Essex Co., Eng., 1538, died October 5, 1551. His grandson by his son, Lord Robert (or as one account gives it, his son), 3. THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ., of Brook Hall, So. Weald, Essex Co., Lord of the Manor of Great and Little Reapers, was buried October 21, 1607.
His son, 4. JOHN WRIGHT, ESQ., ditto, was baptised September 13, 1577, and buried May 30, 1640, married Grace Glascock (dau. of Henry) of High Easter Parsonage, Essex Co. His son was 5. (110) THOMAS WRIGHT, SR., the Wethersfield settler, who came first probably to Watertown, Mass., and was of the Mass. Court of Assistants before the Colonial Government was established at Boston. He removed to Wethersfield probably about 1639. He was recognized as a man of influence and high standing. He owned an island in the Connecticut River, called by the Indians Mannahannock ("Great Laughing Place"), part of which was still owned by his descendants in 1900. He was deputy to the general court of Connecticut 1643, selectman 1658, Commissioner on town lines, etc. He and Enoch Buck were constables 1668-9. He seems to have been prominent in the church fight which led to the removal to Hadley. Senator Elijah Boardman, grandfather of Mrs. M. W. Tyler, was fourth in the descent from his son, Ensign Samuel as follows: Hannah Wright, Daniel Boardman, Sherman Boardman, Elijah Boardman, Caroline M. Boardman, Eliza M. (Schroeder) Tyler. [:ITAL]

Title: Autobiography of William Seymour Tyler, D.D.,LL.D.
Abbrev: Autobiography of W.S. Tyler, D
Author: Tyler, William Seymour, D.D.,LL.D
Publication: Massachusetts, 1912
Note:
This book is an autobiography written by Willliam Seymour
Tyler, D.D.,LL.D. himself along with genealogy history written
by Cornelius B. Tyler.
Repository:
Name: GenealogyLibrary.com
Page: pp 278-279

x. New England Fams, Third Series, Vol IV, p 1991:
WRIGHT This family can be definitely traced in England for four generations prior to the immigration to America of Thomas Wright, who came here some time before the year 1640. In old England, where family names were first assumed, he who wrought metals was called Smith, and he who wrought in wood was called Wright, hence both are classed as names derived from occupations. ... Thomas (2) Wright, son of John (2) Wright, was born in England, November 19, 1610, and died at Wethersfield, Connecticut, in 1670. He was the immigrant ancestor of this branch of the family. "Stiles' Ancient Wethersfield," vol. i, page 317, says that: Thomas Wright, the settler, came from Watertown before 1639. He had one homestead, three and one-half acres on the west side of High street, on which his house was built; probably before 1639; Robert Abbott, north, and Samuel Clark, south. Another homestead was received in 1654, a house, barn and five acres of land, bought of Samuel Hale, on the west side of Back street, between Luke Hitchcock, north, and land belonging to Matthew Griswold, south. He bought of Richard Belden a lot of twenty and a half acres in Westfield in 1654. He became by purchase the owner of a large part of the Great Island, thereafter known as "Wright's Island," which mostly he
gave to his sons, Thomas and James, who bought other parcels of the island. Thomas had the north part and James the south part. Vol. ii, page 851, of the same work, says: "Thomas Wright came first probably to Watertown, Massachusetts. Was of the Massachusetts court of assistance before the colonial government was established in Boston, and removed to Wethersfield, probably about 1639. He was recognized as a man of influence and high standing. A house lot of three acres is recorded to him in Wethersfield, December 11, 1640, but his principal estate was an island in the river called by the Indians `Mannahannock' (Great Laughing Place); the Indians used to meet there and have games and wrestling, part of which ever since and is now owned by his lineal descendants." Thomas Wright was a deputy to the general court of Connecticut in 1643, selectman in 1658, and later commissioner on town lines.  He was made foreman, May 11, 1654, was constable in 1668-69, and on the court jury at Hartford during the latter year. He brought with him from England a wife and five children. He married (second) May 2, 1647, Margaret, widow of John Elsen, who had been killed by the Indians in the Wethersfield massacre of 1637. Before her marriage to Elsen she was the wife of High Hilliard, by whom she had three children--Ben, Job and John.  She died in 1670-71. Her will, dated January 19, 1670, mentions her grandson William, son of Job Hillier, deceased; Margaret Woustan and Sarah Holamouth, daughters of her son, Benjamin Hillier, and the wife of her son, Thomas Wright. Children by first wife of Thomas Wright: James; Joseph, born about 1639; Thomas; Samuel, mentioned below; Lydia. [:ITAL]

Title: New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series,
Volume IV
Abbrev: New England Families, Third Series, Vol. IV
Author: Cutter, William Richard
Publication: Genealogical Publishing, Baltimore, 1996 (reprint of 1915 ed)
Page: p 1991
 

x. Anc of Wm Boardman, pp 100-101:
THOMAS WRIGHT, one of the early settlers of Wethersfield, Conn., was born in England, and baptized there November 19, 1610. Some say he was descended from John Wright, Bishop of Bristol, Winchester, and Lichfield, and was a cousin of Mr. Nathaniel Wright of London, one of the assistants of the first General Court of Massachusetts before the government was transferred to Boston. Others declare that he was the son of John Wright of Brook Hall, a great-grandson of John Wright, Lord of Kelvedon Manor. It is also said he was at Swamscott, now Exeter, in 1629 being one of the company of Colonel John Wheelwright, as appears from a deed given to them by the Indian Sagamores, and that he was admitted a freeman at Exeter in 1640. Stiles in his History of Wethersfield says he came first probably to Watertown. He appeared at Wethersfield, Conn., about 1640, a house lot being recorded to him February 11, 1640-41, and he was one of the jurors at a Particular Court in Hartford September 4, 1643. He held the office of Townsman in 1658-9 and was for many years a deacon in the church.  The earliest homestead of Thomas Wright recorded was on
the west side of High street. He was a prominent land owner, and obtained by purchase nearly all of the Great Island, since known as "Wright's Island," lying in the Connecticut River between the two great natural divisions of the original township.

He died in April, 1670, his will being dated the 21st of that month and his inventory, amounting to oe101 15s., being taken the 29th. He confirmed by will a division of his land previously made among his sons, and made provision for his wife Margaret.

The name of the first wife of Thomas Wright, who came with him to Wethersfield is unknown. He married, 2nd, Margaret Elson, widow of John Elson or Elsen who had died in 1648. She died in 1671. Her will dated January 19, 1670, mentions William and Sarah Hilier, children of her son Job Hilier, whose three other children are to have a portion, Margaret Wanton, daughter of the wife of her son Benjamin Hilier and the wife of Thomas Wright her son. Possibly her first husband was Hugh Hilliard or Hillier. Her inventory taken April 4, 1671, amounted to oe82 19s. 6d. [Manwaring's Hartford Probate Records, I: 261-263.]
Children:
I. Thomas, b. 1632; m. June 16, 1657, Elizabeth Chittenden of Guilford, who was b. 1641, and d. Feb. 17, 1675.
He died Aug. 24, 1683.
II. Samuel (No. 146).
III. James, m. 1st, Mary (???), who d. Oct. 6, 1659; 2nd, Nov. 20, 1660, Doreas, dau. of Jonas Weed of Stamford, who d. Dec. 24, 1692; 3rd, Mary, who d. Oct. 20, 1740. He d. Dec. 24, 1728.
IV. Joseph (No. 104).
V. Lydia, m. abt. 1653, Joseph Smith, son of Richard and Rebecca Smith, who d. 1673, and she married William Harris.
VI. Mary. [:ITAL]

Title: The Ancestry of William Francis Joseph Boardman. Harford,
Connecticutt. 1906
Abbrev: Ancestry of William F.J. Boardman
Author: Boardman, William F. J.
Publication: privately printed, Hartford, CT, 1906
Page: pp 100-101

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