Wright Family

This family was probably from Kelvedon, England. Kelvedon Hall (at right) has been the home of the Wright family since 1538.

"The first mention of Kelvedon estate was in the Domesday Book. The estate became the principle manor of the parish Kelvedon Hatch. In the following centuries the estate was extended by the various owners. In 1538, the manor was sold to John Wright, a yeoman of South Weald, for £493. For nearly the next 400 years the estate remained in the hands of the Wright family. Tradition was clearly important in the family for there were to be ten successive John Wrights. They extended the estate further by purchasing Germains, a former manor. As land ownership meant power and money, the family were able to confirm their status as minor gentry. The manor house was rebuilt by the seventh John Wright in the 18th century."  [source: http://www.historyhouse.co.uk]
Picture copyright History House - http://www.historyhouse.co.uk
Kelvedon Hatch is located at the yellow dot.



This is a purported lineage for Abel Wright I:
John 1488 > Robert 1516 > John 1546 > John 1582 > Abel 1631

Generations:
1)     Abel Wright I, (1631 Kelveden, Eng. —1725, MA); m Martha Kitcheral
2)     Abel Wright II, (1664 Ms—1742 CT); m Rebecca Terry
3)     Benjamin Wright, (1714 CT—1798 VT); m Rachel Owen
4)     Rebekah Wright, (1752 CT—1823 VT); m Christopher Pease II
5)     Christopher Pease III, (1791 VT— ? VT); m ?
6)     Miles Pease, (1823 VT—1879 MO); m Susan Mariah Metcalf
7)     Myron Metcalf Pease, (1855 NH—1940 MO); m Winifred B. Johnson
8)     Myrtle Nora Pease, (1881 MO—1957 CA); m John Ira Lindesmith [my great-grandparents]

Here are 2 other possible fathers for Abel Wright I:
1st — Edward WRIGHT born abt 1600 in Leverton, Lincoln, Eng.; m Agnes Ann Keale; d July 1636 Leverton, Eng
2nd — [this is prob his grandfather] John Wright, b Feb. 23, 1547 in Kelveden, Hatch, Essex, Eng. & Jane Richall, b 1547 in Kelvedon

The Wright family in Kelvedon was Catholic.  However, Abel must have been a Puritan or else it doesn't seem that he would have emigrated to New England.

Abel Wright I


Lt. ABEL WRIGHT I, born Jan 10 (or Mar 1), 1630/31 in Leverton, Lincolnshire, Eng.  In 1628 Salem became the first settlement in Mass.   The town of Springfield, Mass. was first settled in 1636.  Abel was in Springfield by 1655.  On Jan. 2, 1655 Abel Wright was granted a home lot of three acres next to the Round Hill. Then again on Feb. 13, 1656 he was granted twenty acres of land, formerly owned by Rowland Thomas, lying in the great plain called the Chicoppe Plain, overlooking the Connecticut River, provided he live there for five years.  He lived here on the banks of the Connecticut River for 70 years, during which time he had other land grants in his name, until his death Oct 29, 1725 at the age of 94. 

He married Dec. 1, 1659 in Harford, Ct. to 14-year-old Martha Kitcheral, born Jan 4, 1645 in Hartford, CT, the daughter of Samuel Kitcheral & Martha Chapman of Hartford, Ct.  (See Kitcheral Family below)

The colonial laws regulated the subject of extravagant dressing.  In September 1673 the court recorded:
“Diverse women at Springfeild (sic) presentd at ye Courte in March last for that being of meane estate they did weare Silkes contrary to Law vixt Goodwife Labden (,) Goody Colton (,) Goody Morgan (,) Goody Barnard (,) Mercy & Hephzibod Jones (,) Hunters wife & Daughter & Abell Wrights wife, & warned to this Courte the six former app’ring in Courte they were admonisht of their extyravagancyes & dismist.”

He probably participated in King Philip's War in 1675 between the English colonists and the Indians.

A royal proclamation of April 27, 1678 ordered all subjects to take the oath of allegiance, accordingly magistrate John Pynchon performed that duty to 62 inhabitants of Springfield on Dec 3, 1678 & Jan 1, 1679, including Abel Wright.

On July 26, 1708 seven or eight Indians rushed into the house of Lt. Abel Wright of Skipmuch in Springfield, and killed two soldiers, Aaron Parsons of Northampton and Benjah Hulbert of Enfield; scalped the wife of Lt. Wright (who died 3 months later on Oct 19), took Hannah, the wife of Lt.Wright's son Henry, and killed her; killed her infant son Henry in a cradle and knocked in the head of her daughter Hannah, aged 2 years, in the same cradle, but she later recovered.

Abel lived 17 more years and died Oct 29, 1725 in Springfield, Hampshire, Mass.  He was buried in the Peabody Cemetery at Springfield.
Abel & Martha had 13 children (3 children died young):

1a)   JOSEPH WRIGHT, b Sept 1, 1660, Springfield, Ms; m Sarah Osborne, Dec 29, 1687 in East Hartford, CT.  He followed his brother Abel II to Lebanon, Ct about 1708, after the Indian raid destroyed his home.  8 children, all born in Springfield:
......1a1)     Mindwell Wright, b Sept 24, 1688; d young
......1a2)     Joseph Wright Jr, b Oct 14, 1690; m Merrian Merrich
......1a3)     Sarah Wright, b Nov 20, 1692; m prob June 20, 1719 to Hezekiah Porter of Hartford, Ct.
......1a4)     Benjamin Wright, b Nov 11, 1694; killed by Indians in 1712
......1a5)     Mindwell Wright (2nd), b Mar 4, 1697; m Jonathan Old (or Thomson)
......1a6)     Martha Wright, b June 16, 1699; prob m Jonathan Old, Feb 18, 1720
......1a7)     Mary Wright, b Sept 24, 1702
......1a8)     Rachel Wright, b Dec 4, 1706; m 3rd James Dorchester

1b)    MARTHA WRIGHT, b Nov 29, 1662 in Springfield, Hampden Co., MA; m 1681 Thomas Marlow/Morley; children:
......1b1)     Martha Morley, b Sept 7, 1682, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; m 1704 William Loomis; 1- children
......1b2)    Thomas Morley, b Sept 14, 1684; m 1708 Elizabeth Wickham; ch: Timothy
......1b3)    Mary Morley, b Oct 30, 1686
......1b4)    Thankful Morley, b Feb 28, 1693
......1b5)    Mercy Morley, b Nov 14, 1695
......1b6)    Abel Morley, b Jan 18, 1699; m Susannah Kilborn 1719; d Jan 17, 1771 in Feeding Hills, Hampden Co, MA
......1b7)    John Morley, b Mar 12, 1699 Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; d Nov 1, 1757
......1b8)    Ebenezer Morley, b Mar 22, 1701 in Woodfield, Hampten Co., MA; m Susanna Pellet 1725 in in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., NY; d 1748 Glastonbury, NY; ch: Martha, Susannah, Prudence, John

1c)    Ensign ABEL WRIGHT II, 1664-1745; m Rebecca Terry.  Children:
......1c1)     Rebecca Wright, b 1692; m Jacob Ordway
......1c2)     Samuel Wright, b/d 1694
......1c3)     Abel Wright III, b 1695; m Mary Calkins
......1c4)     Samuel Wright (2nd), b 1698
......1c5)     Ebenezer Wright, 1701-1786; m Elizabeth Newcomb, Sarah Huntington, Mary Mason Huntington
......1c6)     Mary Wright, b 1702
......1c7)     Ephriam Wright, 1704-1759; m Hannah Wood
......1c8)     Martha Wright, b 1705; m ? Holbrook
......1c9)    Jemima Wright, b 1707; m Eleazor Hutchinson
......1c10)  Ann Wright, b 1709; m ? Buell
......1c11)  Miriam Wright, b 1710
......1c12)  Benjamin Wright, b/d 1712
......1c13)  Benjamin Wright (2nd), b 1714-1798; m Rachel Owen

1d)    BENJAMIN WRIGHT, b Mar 14, 1667; m Mary Chapin, 1694 (daughter of Henry); d Dec 25, 1704; Mary d 1708 (the year of the Indian raid—unsure of any connection to her death), leaving two small children, Ben (11) & Henry (8). Children:
......1d1)   Benjamin Wright Jr, b May 22, 1697
......1d2)   Henry Wright, b May 19, 1700
......1d3)   Mary Wright, b May 1, 1705 (4 mos. after her father died)

1e)    HANNAH WRIGHT, b July 28, 1669; m Joseph Saxton/Sexton, Nov 20, 1690.  7 children, all born in Enfield, Ct.:
......1e1)     Gershom Saxton, b 1691
......1e2)     Hannah Saxton, b 1692
......1e3)     Joseph Saxton, b 1694
......1e4)     Mindwell Saxton, b 1696; Ebenezer Pease (son of Robert Pease, grson of John & Mary Pease, ggrson of John & Margaret Pease); ch: Catherine (m Benjamin Hall)
......1e5)     David Saxton, b 1700
......1e6)     Ezekiel Saxton, b 1704
......1e7)     Charles Saxton, b 1708

1f)     HENRY WRIGHT, b May 23, 1671; d young (before 1677)

1g)    SARAH WRIGHT, b May 8, 1673 Springfield, Hampden, Mass; m Thomas Chapin, Feb 15, 1693 Springfield, Mass; she d 26 JUL 1770 in Springfield, Hampshire, Mass; 11 children
......1g1)    Thomas Chapin b: 2 Jan 1694 in Springfield MA
......1g2)    Japheth Chapin b: 16 Mar 1697 in Springfield MA
......1g3)    Abel Chapin b: 28 Jan 1700 in Springfield MA
......1g4)    Shem Chapin b: 2 Feb 1702 in Springfield MA
......1g5)    Esther Chapin b: 5 Dec 1704 in Springfield MA
......1g6)    Martha Chapin b: 5 Sept 1706 in Springfield MA; m Samuel Wells 1726, Springfield, Ma; d 1801 Springfield; ch: Samuel, Gad, Martha
......1g7)    Sarah Chapin b: 18 Feb 1708 in Springfield MA
......1g8)    Nathaniel Chapin b: 9 Aug 1711 in Enfield CT
......1g9)    Bathsheba Chapin b: 19 Dec 1714 in Springfield MA
......1g10)  Jabez Chapin b: 3 Apr 1716 in Springfield MA
......1g11)  Deborah Chapin b: 13 Oct 1719 in Hatfield Hampshire Co MA

1h)     MARY WRIGHT, b Mar 9, 1675; m Nathaniel Bliss, 1697; d Nov 22, 1738 Somers, Tolland, CT. Children:
......1h1)     Nathaniel Bliss, b Nov 16, 1698 in Springfield, Mass; died young
......1h2)     Henry Bliss, b Oct 25, 1701 in Enfield, CT; m 1724 Bethiah Spofford, Boxford MA; d 1761, Lebanon, CT; Children: Elias, Zenos, Martha, Amos, Lydia, Abraham, Bethiah, Pelatiah, Henry
......1h3)     Nathaniel Bliss, b Oct 26, 1704, Enfield, CT; m 1723, Mehitable Spofford; d 1771, CT; Children: Elijah, Mehetable, Mary (1728) Mary (1731), Joseph, Patience, Nathaniel
......1h4)     Mary Bliss, b Mar 3, 1705, Lebanon, CT; m 1748 Moses Hatch; children: Mary (1738), Joseph, Mary (1742), Eliphalet, Pelatiah, David, Ann
......1h5)     Martha Bliss, b Oct. 30, 1709, Lebanon, CT; m 1731 Jabez Lyman; children: Ezekiel, Jerusha, Jabez, Martha (1735), Israel, Lucy, Elisha, Elizabeth, Martha (17450, Eunice, Elisha

1i)     HENRY WRIGHT (2nd), b June 8, 1677; married 1st May 24, 1705 to Hannah Bliss (2 ch; daug of John); Henry followed his brother Abel Jr. to Lebanon, Ct abt 1700-03; married and lived there a while, then he made the unfortunate decision abt 1707 to return to Springfield, Mass.  Hannah was captured in the Indian raid of July 1708 and died soon afterwards; Henry Jr  (6 mos. old) was killed.  He m 2nd Mar 15, 1711 to Sarah Root (6 ch); m 3rd  Elizabeth ? (d 1738); he died Apr 21, 1769 (92 yrs old).  Children:
......1i1)     Hannah Wright, b May 18, 1706, Springfield, MA;
......1i2)     Henry Wright Jr, b Jan 9, 1708; killed in Indian raid July 26, 1708
......1i3)     Moses Wright, b abt 1713
......1i4)     Stephen Wright, b 1716
......1i5)     Caleb Wright, b 1718
......1i6)     Elisha Wright, b 1720
......1i7)     Sarah Wright, b 1723
......1i8)     Deborah Wright

1j)     SAMUEL WRIGHT, b June 17, 1679 in Springfield, Ms; moved to Lebanon, Ct abt 1702.  He m 1710 to Mary Case/Chase of Lebanon (3 ch); m 2nd Dec 13, 1727 to Anna  Loomis of Lebanon (5 ch); lived in Norwich a while.  Died 1710 in Norwich?, New London Co., CT. Children:
......1j1)     Aaron Wright, b Mar 29, 1713
......1j2)     John Wright, b Sept 23, 1716
......1j3)     Mary Wright, b May 10, 1721
......1j4)     Rebecca Wright, b Sept 24, 1728
......1j5)     Elijah Wright, b Aug 14, 1730
......1j6)     Anna Wright, b Oct 7, 1732
......1j7)     Samuel Wright, b Feb 17, 1735
......1j8)     Eleazer Wright, b Aug 3, 1739

1k)     ELIZABETH WRIGHT, b Aug 18, 1682; d June 17, 1683

1l)     JOHN WRIGHT, b Apr 21, 1685; d May 11, 1685, Springfield, MA

1m)   ELIZABETH WRIGHT (2nd), b Aug 22, 1687; m Ebenezer Dewey of Lebanon, Ct, 1709 & m 2nd Benjamin Skinner.  Children:
......1m1)   Elizabeth Dewey, b Oct 7, 1710
......1m2)   Ebenezer Dewey Jr, b Jan 24, 1712



Kitcheral Family


Samuel Kitcheral was born 1619 in Hayes, Bromley, Kent, England/Kent Co., Eng; he died 9 June 1651 in Hartford, Hartford, Ct. Samuel was the son of Joseph Ketcheral, b 1587 in Sandwich, Kent, Eng.
Samuel 1st married Sarah ?; He married 2nd Martha Chapman 1643 in Hartford, CT.
Martha Chapman was born Apr 7, 1625 in Digswell, Herts, Eng. She was the daughter of Simon & Mary Chapman. Simon Chapman was born 1585 in Digswell Herts, Eng.
Martha Chapman & Samuel Kitcheral had 3 children born in Hartford Co, CT: Samuel, Martha, Hannah. [After Samuel Kitcheral died in 1651, Martha m 2nd Anthony Dorchester, 2 Jan 1650/51; they had a daughter: Sarah Dorchester.]
Martha Chapman Kitcheral died, age 37, Dec 17, 1662, Springfield, Mass. Her daughter, Martha Kitcheral Wright was 17 and had 2 children.

Children:
1.  Samuel KITCHEREL b: 1643 in Hartford, Hartford, CT; d June 9, 1651 Springfield, MA

2.  Martha KITCHERAL b: 4 Jan 1645 in Hartford, Hartford, CT; m Abel WRIGHT 1659 Springfield, MA; d Oct 19, 1708 Springfield, MA; ch:

3.  Hannah KITCHEREL b: 4 Jan 1646 in Hartford, Hartford, CT; d Apr 29, 1658, Springfield, MA

Site map: Abel Sr - Abel Jr - Benjamin - home
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