Deacon Samuel Wright

Deacon Samuel Wright, Sr. was born (seen as) Sat 29 Jun 1606 in Wrightsbridge, Essex, England, a Puritan who came to America probably about 1635, but possibly as late as 1638. He died at Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony Gill, Franklin, Massachusetts on 17 Oct 1665, "while sleeping in his chair."[1]

Family

Parents: Nathaniel John Wright, Lydia James
Siblings: Sarah Wright, Phoebe Wright(female fraternal twin), Ezekiel Wright (male fraternal twin)

His wife was Margaret ______.[1][2][4] She died in 1681.[1]

Children were all named in his will except the last "Helped"[1] All but the last two were born before his arrival in Springfield.[1]

1. Samuel m. Elizabeth Burt
2. James m. Abigail Jess
3. Mary
4. Margaret; m. Thomas Bancroft 8 Dec 1653
5. Hester m. Samuel Marshfield 18 FEb 1651/2
6. Lydia died 13 Feb 1699; m. (1)Lawence Bliss 25 Oct 1654; (2) John Norton 3 Oct 1678; (3) John Lamb 25 Oct 1654; (4) George Colton 1693
7. Judah b. 10 May 1642, Springfield; m. Mercy Burt
8. Helped b. 7, 15, 1644 Springfield; not mentioned in will

Many secondary sources name Benjamin and Hannah. According to sources they were not named in their father's will. The will need to be checked.

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34523348/samuel-wright

Deacon of the Church in Northampton MA. Married Margaret _ in 1632 in England. Came to New England in 1639 and settled in Springfield MA. Source: Anderson's Great Migration Directory.

DEACON SAMUEL WRIGHT, 1606 TO 1665

Samuel Wright was born in 1606 in Wrightsbridge, Essex County, England. He attended Emmanuel College of Cambridge University like his father, graduating in 1624. And like his father, he became a dyed-in-the-wool Puritan. He married Margaret Stratton in 1625. Samuel and Margaret had four children together while they lived in England –Samuel Jr., Margaret, Hester (or Esther), and Lydia. About 1636, they sailed with these four children to America where they had four more – James, Judah, Mary and Helped.

Disputed Origins

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wright-286

Ultimately, Samuel Wright's origins and parents are unknown. There have been many guesses without evidence, the latest is he was the son of John Wright of Wrightsbridge, Essex and Martha Castell.

According to the Visitation of Essex in 1634, John Wright of Wrightsbridge and Martha Castell had 3 sons John, Nathaniel and Robert. Various sources have his lifespan as 1567-1644 but he died in 1632.

John Wright of Wrightsbridge was a relatively notable person. He was the Clerk of the House of Commons from 1612 to 1632, assisted by his son John. It is curious why he would be excluded from the Visitation, which appears to be submitted by the eldest son John, esq, there is a half-brother James but no brother named Samuel.

Nathaniel is mentioned below as Samuel's younger half-brother. A different pedigree submitted by Nathaniel for the Visitation of London of 1633-4 has his parents as John and Bennett Greene and having an older brother Samuel Wright. But there's no proof that Samuel is this profile, also apparently this was a somewhat political document changing the name of John's 2nd wife from Blesby to Greene.

Wrightsbridge is an interesting estate because it is a copyhold of the manor of Havering. As described by the VCH of Essex, it was not a manor it was just a tenement in Romford, with somewhere between 60 and 80 acres. This is not quite enough property for the holder to be termed "gent", which is why the family is usually described as yeomen.

Banks [Banks Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants says a Samuel Wright who emigrated to Springfield was from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants says a Samuel Wright] who emigrated to Springfield was from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16261458/person/354943597

He married Margaret (STRATTON?)(about 1625-1626 in England)(before 1627-S15) (in 1631 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts) .

He was a Puritan from England, who came to America sometime between 1630 and 1636, probably 1636. He probably lived for a short time in the Bay Area surrounding Boston immediately after arriving.

He was one of the first settlers of Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, and came to that place about 1636 in the company of William Pynchon, and others, from the Bay area in Eastern Massachusetts. Springfield was originally called by its Indian name "Agawam," and was known as such until 1640.

Samuel settled on what is now Main Street, a little below where now stands the historic First Church.

He is mentioned in the Springfield town records in 1639 as having been called upon to serve as Deacon to the flock of the first Congregational Church, "…exhorting the people until such time as another could be got for the job…" How long he served at this time is unknown, but eventually an ordained minister was found.

He served jury duty on 14 November 1639 at Agawam (Springfield), Hampden County, Massachusetts. The jury heard cases between John Woodcoke & John Cable and between William Pynchon & Thomas Merricke. This was the first jury noted in the court records. The other jurists were Henry Smyth, Jehew Burr, Henry Gregory, John Searle and Samuell Hubbard.

He served jury duty on 18 June 1640 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. This jury heard a case between William Warriner & Henry Gregory.

He served jury duty on 10 September 1640 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. This jury heard a case between Henry Gregory & John Woodcoke in action of the case for 'fower poundes fowerteene shillings.'

He took the Oath of Freeman on 14 April 1648 n Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.

He was ordered to pay a fine on 30 May 1649 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, along with John Herman, for the damage their team of oxen did to Henry Burt's field. They were ordered to pay 1½ bushels of marsh wheat.

After the resignation of the 1st minister, and his return to England in 1652, Deacon Wright, Deacon Chapin, Mr. Holyoke and Henry Burt all conducted religious services on the Sabbath.

From a page torn out of his account book, dated 25 Jul 1653 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts: [torn]n accot of what I haue laid out [torn] Mill dam 25 July 1653 for Sam Wright 3 d 00 05 00, To Sam Wright for 3 d worke besides above 00 05 00."

He was fined on 1 November 1653 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts: "The persons underwritten being presented for breach of the Towne orders are ordered to pay: as followeth : - Samuell Wright 0.02.00.

He and a group of fifteen other families formed what is now called the Northampton Society in 1654, and moved together to a land grant about 35 miles up the Connecticut River (it was then called the Big River) and founded the town of Northampton in 1656, where his son Samuel Jr. had preceded him. Among the first groups to settle at Northampton, there were a total of about thirty families who are considered the first settlers of Northampton. Samuel Jr. was one of the town selectmen that year, in 1656. The first settlers purchased the land there from the Indians. At first, the settlement of Northampton was called Squakeag, the Indian name for the area. It was next called “Northfield” by the English settlers because it was the northernmost settlement on the river. Finally the name Northampton was settled upon.

At Northampton, he and his son Samuel were granted a home lot of 4 1/2 acres on Main Street, between King and Market Streets. He is spoken of as one of the leaders of the town, prominent in local affairs, serving on various committees. They built small huts near each other, and ran a stockade around a number of them for a fort into which they might flee, if attacked.

He provided bond on 24 March 1655 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts of £4 for the preformance of the order concerning his son Samuel Wright Jr. providing for the illegitimate child he fathered on Mary Burt.

At a meeting of the town on 24 Mar 1656, Deacon Wright alone was chosen to dispense the word of God on the Sabbath at 50 shillings per month.

In a lawsuit dated 29 March 1659 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts he brought a suit, along with Edward Elmer, Alexander Edwards & John Stebbin, against the town of Northampton "in an action of the case concerninge their turninge out some of the freemen from beine select men to which office they were chosen."

From John Pynchon's account books in June of 1660, he employed "Deacon Wright CR June [1660] By your halfe, for Sawing of the Timber for the Corection house 03 15 00."

His name was the first one signed to the church covenant in Northampton, adopted in 1661.

Deacon of the Church in Northampton MA. Born in Leyden, Holland. Married Margaret ____ in 1632 in England. Their child: Hannah (Wright) Stebbins.

Family links:

Spouse:

 Margaret Wright (1604 - 1681) 

Children:

 Lydia Wright Colton (____ - 1699)*

 Hannah Wright Stebbins (1628 - 1660)*

 Samuel Wright (1632 - 1675)*

 James Wright (1638 - 1723)*

 Judah Wright (1642 - 1725)

Burial: Unknown Created by: Linda Mac Record added: Mar 06, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 34523348 -tcd https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LVJ4-2JN https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34523348/samuel-wright

Old notes

Deacon Samuel Wright is presumed to have been born and raised in Degenham Hall on the Wright family estate known as Wrightsbridge, located a few miles west of St. Peters church, South Weald parish, County Essex, England, which is about 40 miles east of London.

He attended Emmanuel College at Cambridge University, like his father and elder brother..

He married Margaret STRATTON in England before 1627.

Their children were: Samuel, Margaret, Hester, Lydia and Mary (birth order unknown) while still in England.