THE CHILDREN OF IRISH JOHN WRIGHT
(This article was written by George F. Wright, M.D. Any specific comments, corrections, etc. should be sent directly to Dr. Wright. His email address is at the bottom of this page. The standard disclaimers regarding total accuracy of this account apply: you should use this information as a basis for further research but don't accept everything here as "fact.")
Most Quaker references list only nine children in the family of Irish John Wright and his wife, Elizabeth (1). Some sources have stated that there were ten children but have given no reference for that fact (2,3). The child in question is William Wright, stated by some as the first born. I have not been able to confirm that and I have not found any records that would pertain to such a person. The same references also state that of the ten children, the first five were born in Ireland (one reference states the first two were born in England?) and the last five were born in America (2,3).
SAMUEL WRIGHT
Samuel was probably born in Ireland around 1729 (2,3) and he died about 1781. He married Gertrude WIERMAN, d/o William WIERMAN and Gertrude SIETMAN, at Menallen Meeting House, Menallen Twp., Adams County, PA, 4-Sep-1754 (5). Gertrude was probably born in Holland (4) and she died about 1802 in Menallen. Samuel was a farmer who lived and died in Adams County. There were eight children to this marriage. After his death, his wife married William FERGUSON, a widower. Dr. Isaac Wright BLACKBURN, in his manuscript on the Blackburns, states that this Samuel Wright was the ancestor of the Bedford County, PA Wrights and his brother, John WRIGHT, was the ancestor of the Adams County, PA Wrights.
JOSEPH WRIGHT
Joseph WRIGHT was born 13-1mo-1731 or 1735/6, at Castleshane, County Monaghan, Ireland (2,6). His death is recorded in the Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting minutes on 21-Nov-1816. He married Mary FARQUHAR 9-Apr-1761 at Pipe Creek Meeting House . Mary was the daughter of William FARQUHAR and Ann MILLER. Eleven children resulted from this marriage. Joseph met and married Mary in Maryland and according to the Fairfax Monthly Meeting minutes, the family then transferred to Pipe Creek Month Meeting when that Monthly Meeting was established and set off from Fairfax Monthly Meeting in 1767. Pipe Creek was in Frederick County in an area that later became Carroll County, Maryland.
RACHEL WRIGHT
Rachel was born in 1737 at Castleshane, County Monaghan, Ireland (4) and she died 19-Apr-1777 at Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting. She married William FARQUHAR, son of William FARQUHAR and Ann MILLER. William was born 11-10mo-1735 in Chester County, PA (11). Seven children resulted from this marriage. Rachel became a noted minister of the Quaker religion, first appearing in that ministry in February 1771, and the testimony from the Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting minutes testifies to her many good qualities.
MARY WRIGHT
Mary WRIGHT was born about 1739 at Castleshane, County Monaghan, Ireland (6) and her death is recorded in the minutes of the Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting in Carroll County, MD as occurring 25-Apr-1782 at Fairfax Monthly Meeting in Loudon County, VA. She married Samuel HUTTON at the Menallen Meeting House the 5th mo 9th 1753. Samuel was the son of Joseph HUTTON and Mary MILLER and was born 15-2mo-1724 at New Garden Monthly Meeting in Chester County, PA and died 2-Jun-1789 at Fairfax Monthly Meeting. There were 12 children to this marriage. After Mary died, Samuel married Sarah CADWALLADER and had one more child.
JOHN WRIGHT
This John WRIGHT was probably the first child of John and Elizabeth born in America, probably around 1740 (2,3). We are not sure exactly where he was born since we do not know of the family’s travels until they are recorded as being at Menallen Monthly Meeting in 1748. This John died before 1779 because his widow is listed in the 1779 tax records for Menallen Township. He is supposedly buried at the Menallen Burying Grounds in Menallen Township, Adams County, PA. John married Elizabeth HAMMOND at Menallen Meeting House 30-Sep-1767. Elizabeth was the daughter of John HAMMOND and Deborah DIX. Elizabeth was born 1-7mo-1745 at Warrington Monthly Meeting, York County, PA and she died 23-Jul-1724 at Menallen. John and his wife had 10 children and they spent their lives in Menallen Township.
This John WRIGHT was called "Stone House Johnny" and he was supposedly a veteran of the Revolutionary War in spite of his being a Quaker. In the PA Archives, 5th Series, Vol 3, p 754, John Wright is listed as a private in Lt. Col. Hartley’s Regiment, First PA Brigade, Gen. Wayne’s Division. John’s will is on file in Will Book C, p 131 in Adams county, PA. It was written 15-Aug-1817 and probated 4-Jul-1820.
Ethel (Miller) WRIGHT of Bedford County, PA (7) has sent a copy of a proclamation from the Commonwealth of PA that states that the John WRIGHT II homestead (Stone House) located ten miles NW of Gettysburg, RD #1, Gettysburg, Menallen Township, Adams County has been approved for listing on known historic and cultural resources in PA.
ALICE WRIGHT
Alice was born about 1742, probably in PA (2) and she died in 1814 in Menallen. She married Samuel HENDRICKS, son of James HENDRICKS and Lucy DUCKETT. Samuel was born sometime between 1715 and 1725 in Chester County, PA (8) and he died in Apr-1783 in York County, now Adams County (8). His will was dated 18-Apr-1782 and proved 3-May-1783. Mrs. Jane DIGGERNESS of Randolph, UT (8) sent considerable material about the HENDRICKS family including several references. Alice WRIGHT was the third wife of Samuel HENDRICKS and there were three children to this marriage.
BENJAMIN WRIGHT
Benjamin was born in 1744, probably at Menallen (3) and he died there in 1816 (3). He married Jane FAULKNER at York Meeting House, York Co., PA 20-May-1766. Jane was the daughter of Jesse FAULKNER and Martha SMITH and was born in 1748 (2,3) and died in 1808 (2,3). Ten children resulted from this marriage.
JONATHAN WRIGHT
Jonathan was born 27-Jan-1748 at Menallen (9) and died Feb-1831 in Fayette County, IN (2,3,4). He is buried at Poplar Ridge, Fayette County, IN (9). He married at Menallen Meeting House on 16-May-1770, Susanna GRIFFITH, daughter of Thomas GRIFFITH and Eve FAULKNER. Susanna was born 6-Apr-1749 (9) and she died 21-May-1827 (9) and is buried beside her husband (9). There were nine children to this marriage.
Lida Merz (10) has submitted a very interesting review of Jonathan, his travels and his family that was written by Edward Shaw, that appeared in the Literary Era, Vol VII - 1900, page 125. This article is part of the Irish John Wright home page and won’t be repeated here.
Jonathan’s will is on file at Fayette County Courthouse in Connersville, IN. It was written in May-1824, a codicil was written 17-Feb-1829 and the will was filed 22-Feb-1831.
JOEL WRIGHT
Joel was born 4-4mo-1750 at Menallen (11) and he died 31-Jan-1729 at Springboro, Clear Creek Twp., Warren County, OH (11, 12) and is buried in the Quaker cemetery there. He married 1-Jul-1772 at Pipe Creek Meeting House, Elizabeth FARQUHAR, daughter of William FARQUHAR and Ann MILLER. Elizabeth was born 13-6mo-1748 at Pipe Creek and she died 24-Jun-1805 (11, 12). Seven children resulted from this marriage. Joel married second, Ann BATEMAN, daughter of William BATEMAN and Elizabeth THOMAS, in 1817 (2,3). Ann was born 2--Nov-1767 and she died 22-Jul-1842 (13). Joel and his first wife, Elizabeth are buried beside each other and Ann BATEMAN in buried close by. Ann was the sister of Mary BATEMAN, wife of Joel’s son, Jonathan WRIGHT.
After their marriage, Joel and Elizabeth moved to Pipe Creek in Frederick County, MD, settling on land given to them by Elizabeth’s father. Joel was a surveyor and school teacher and superintended a school under the care of Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting, at that time one of the best educational institutions in the state. His pupils came from all parts of the surrounding country.
Joel went to Ohio as early as 1806 but he ended up in Springboro about 1814. He was a very famous surveyor, surveying the state capital of Ohio, Columbus, among other famous sites. His surveying instruments are in the Ohio Historical Society.
SUMMARY
Irish John WRIGHT and his wife were of the Quaker religion and they raised a family of nine and possibly ten children. The first four or five children were probably born in Ireland, at Castleshane, County Monaghan. I have been unable to obtain any records of the Quaker meeting at Castleshane. The first recorded minutes regarding Irish John were at New Garden Monthly Meeting in Chester County, PA in 1746. The first record of the family at Menallen Monthly Meeting was in 1748. We do know that all of the children were raised at Menallen and then dispersed from there.
Three of the children married children of William FARQUHAR and Ann MILLER:
Joseph WRIGHT=Mary FARQUHAR
Rachel WRIGHT=William FARQUHAR, Jr.
Joel WRIGHT=Elisabeth FARQUHAR.
Four of the children lived and died within the confines of Menallen Monthly Meeting:
Samuel WRIGHT
John WRIGHT
Alice WRIGHT
Benjamin WRIGHT.
The remaining children initially went to Maryland with Jonathan ending up in Indiana and Joel in Ohio.
REFERENCES
1. Immigration of Irish Quakers into PA, 1682-1750, by Albert Cook Myers. 1902.
2. Wright Family from 1680 on to Present Date 1935, by Atheline B. Wold.
3. Aron and Mary Wright, by Mary W. Chapman, 1942.
4. Biography and Genealogy of the Blackburn Family by Isaac Wright Blackburn 1901.
5. Minutes of Menallen Monthly Meeting, Adams Co., PA.
6. Richard W. Campbell, 9 Wyndover Woods 16, White Plains, NY 10603.
7. Ethel Miller Wright, Rt 1, Box 89, Schellsburg, PA 15559.
8. Mrs. Jane Diggerness, PO Box 66, Randolph, UT 84064.
9. Aunt Hannah Hadley’s History of the Wright Family - from John Myer.
10. Lida Wright Merz, 2060 Twinbrook Rd., Berwyn, PA 19312.
11. Collections of the Genealogy Society of PA - Farquhar Family.
12. Quaker Records of Northern Maryland 1716-1800 by Henry C. Peden, Jr., M.A.
13. Springboro Historical Society, Springboro, OH.
14. Don Hickman dhichman@netins.net.
Send Comments and/or Corrections To:
George F. Wright, M.D.
