The first part of our family (son’s maternal side) to explore The Wright family, not gone very far back compared to some other branches, but their place in my family history journey is huge as this is where it all started and why I got into the research in the first place! My mother inherited a beautiful Opel pendant from her grandmother “Nan”, Anne Dyer nee Wright, the story goes that she was given the pendant by her brother. My mother knew I have an interest in family history and asked me to find out how the pendant made it’s journey from a mine in Australia to women in Palmers Green!
So this is where my obsession started, unfortunately as of March 2015 I have not been able to find an answer, feel close, whittled it down to two possible brothers, so was it George Herbert Wright b. 1881, a career soldier or William Guy Wright b. 1867 who seems to disappear from records after the 1881 census when he was around 14 years old?
Starting at the beginning of the Wright’s story, we have Nan’s grand father, Thomas:
Thomas Wright b. 1809 (do not know where born) married Ann Isabella Guy b. 1813, on 21st August 1836 at St George’s Bloomsbury, London.
Thomas was a cheesemonger, dealer and chapman and lived and worked (as per the 1841 census) at 9 Blackmore Street, St Clement Danes, Westminster, Middlesex, England, part of Clare Market. (so far not found any photos of Thomas)
Clare Market was at the south-west corner of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, sold meat, fish and fresh vegetables against the backdrop of rows of slum housing. Dickens once described the area as marked by “houses of a poor description, swarming with inhabitants”. The entire quarter was knocked down and redeveloped at the start of the 20th century.
Thomas and Ann are recorded on the first full census in 1841, (where all residence were listed by name) living at 9 Blackmore Street, he was a cheesemonger and they had 3 children living with them, William (aged 4 and son’s 4 times great grandfather), Jane (aged 2) and Anne (aged 1). Also living with them was John Wright (b. 1823) might be Thomas’ brother ? Jane Guy (b. 1822) Ann’s sister and two others, George Eater (b. 1822) and Sam Benning (b 1823) who probably worked for Thomas selling cheeses !
Thomas and Ann Isabella went on to have a another child, Isabella in 1844, around the time Thomas’ financial troubles began!
Thomas and Ann Isabella had 6 children;
William Wright b. 1838
Jane Wright b. 1840
Anne Wright b. 1842
Thomas Henry Wright b. 1843 d. 1844
Isabella Wright b. 1844
Martha Wright b. 1845
Thomas did not fare well during the 1840’s, he was declared bankrupt and went to debtor prison for around a month, he owed money to a Henry ………
Sadly Thomas died on 22nd October 1850, of Delirium tremors (also referred to as “DTs”, “the horrors” is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol). He died at home and the death was registered by Jane Guy, Ann Isabella’s sister, who was now living close by at 8 Stanhope Street. Thomas was just 42 years old and his probate states Ann Isabella got £300….worth around £30,000 today (2015) not bad for someone who went to prison for not being able to pay his debts !
On the 1851 census, Ann Isabella is now head of the household and occupation is cheesemonger. She is still living at 9 Blackmore Street with her four of her children, William, who is already working as a clerk aged 13, Jane, Anne and Isabella, but Martha is not listed, where is she? Also living with Ann Isabella are her sister Martha Guy (b. 1825) her companion, two assistants John Foulke & James Bishop. The 1851 census gives us peoples place of birth;
Ann Isabella Guy b. 1813, Kendal, Westmorland (Lake District), William , Jane, Anne and Isabella all in St Clement Danes, Martha Guy Durham, England. Neighbours occupations include: cabinet maker, coffee house keeper & draper.
The 1861 census Ann Isabella’s and family are still living in Blackmore Street, running the cheesemongers, but there are only 3 of her children living with her, Martha has returned but Anne & Jane are not listed, where have they gone? She still has one assistant recorded as a shopman William Thomas also John Foulke is listed as a visitor (assistant on 1851 census).
By the 1871 things have moved on for Ann Isabella, she is no longer living at Blackmore Street, but has moved to 29 Newcastle Street (a few roads away) and occupation says bookseller, Ann Isabella’s father was a writer, John Guy, see The Guys of Westmorland.
Living with Ann Isabella at Newcastle Street are :
Jane Johnson, married (Jane Wright) daughter, visitor
William Johnson, b. 1864, grandson
Isabella Johnson b. 1867, granddaughter
Isabella Wright, single, daughter
Martha Guy, single, sister, bookseller
Jane Simpkin, married (Jane Guy) , sister, visitor
Clara Wigg b. 01Feb1865, granddaughter (if you look at the drawing of Clare Market it shows Wigg Tea sellers, this is run by Clara’s father)
In 1881 Ann Isabella Wright is still living at 29 Newcastle Street, she is publisher, living with
Matilda Wright, daughter (think she is the same as Martha in other records, same D.O.B.)
Harriett Boxall, domestic servant
William King, Boarder, Gentleman,
Edward Parry, Boarder, warehouseman
J. W. Sprang, Boarder, Author (female)
Clara J. Wigg, granddaughter, scholar
On 3 Nov 1887 Ann Isabella dies, at 9 Blackmore Street, aged 73, of “senectus morbus cordis” old age heart disease. Death notified by Jane Johnson (nee Wright) her daughter.
Meanwhile, back at 9 Blackmore Street, eldest son, William Wright (b. 05 Oct 1837) is now running the cheesemongers. He marries Ann Taylor b. 26 Mar 1846, daughter of a local master baker (living 18 Blackmore Street). The ceremony takes place at The Parish Church of St Clement Danes, Strand (which is now the RAF church), on 03 Oct 1866. This is probably when Ann Isabella Wright moves out to let William run the cheesemongers with his family?
They have been busy ! Living at Blackmore Street with William and Ann on 1871 census are :
William Guy Wright b. 22 Jul 1867 (9 months after parent’s wedding)
Lydia Wright b. 1869
John Proud, shopman cheesemonger
William Pearse, shopman cheesemonger
Emily W Smith, domestic servant (11 years old)
Elizabeth A Patley domestic servant (13 years old)
By the 1881 census, William is listed as “Cheese Monger Employing 3 Men 2 Boys”, he is still living with Ann at 9 Blackmore Street, with their ever growing family;
William G. Wright, 13
Lydia Wright, 12
Thomas B. Wright, b. 02 Aug 1871
John S. Wright b. 03 Aug 1873
Frederick A. Wright b. 22 Oct 1875
Henry A. Wright b.24 Dec 1877
George A. Wright b. 12 Jun 1880
Elizabeth H. Bond, servant cook (aged 18)
Mary A. Fell, servant nurse ( aged 17)
Between the 1881 census and the 1891 census william and Ann Wright move from Blackmore Street to 8 Ferme Park Road, St Mary, Hornsey, Middlesex. They may have been forced to move as the “slum”area was cleared to make way for the London School of Economics, but most people were not forcibly moved till 1890’s, so may be they decided to move earlier? (for more information about LSE & Clare Market see http://www.lse.ac.uk/alumni/LSEConnect/LSEMagazine/pdf/summer2006/CornerofLondon.pdf)
Here William and Ann are still listed as a cheesemonger, as are Thomas, John and Frederick. They have also had two more children, one more born at Blackmore Street and the last one at 8 Ferme Park Road (now a bike shop).
Now living at Ferme Park Road in April 1891 are :
William Wright, 53
Anne Wright, 45
Thomas Beaumont Wright, 19
John Samuel Wright, 17
Frederick Arthur Wright, 15
Henry Arnold Wright, 13
George Herbert Wright, 10
Isabella Wright b. 13 Mar 1882
Anne Wright b. 26 Oct 1883 – ” Nan” my great grandmother, son’s great great grand mother.
Elizabeth Bond, servant (aged 27 ) moved with them from Blackmore Street.
By 1901 William (63 ) and Ann (55) have moved again and are now living (just the two of them) at 24 Holborn Estates Alms House in St Mary Summerstown, Streatham. The Alms house system is a bit like old peoples sheltered housing.
Almshouses erected by St Clement Danes Holborn Estate Charity on a 6-acre site, previously farmland, purchased for the purpose in 1848, which incorporated a large garden at the front that contained an Artesian well to supply the residents. The plans for the grounds were devised by the managers of the Charity and implemented by Robert Mackay, Nurseryman of Stoke Newington, Middlesex. When the charity moved to new almshouses in Sydenham the almshouses were purchased by LB Wandsworth and are predominantly council housing.
So what became of Thomas and his 6 siblings, which brother went to Australia and brought back their youngest sister?
The eldest, William Guy Wright (sometimes listed as Gent), seems to have disappeared between the family living In Clare Market and Ferme Park Road and I can find no trace of him!
Lydia Wright married William Wagstaff Hardy, who was a builder, in 1890 at St Marys in Hornsey and they had 4 children
Thomas Beaumont Wright,
John Samuel Wright
Frederick Arthur Wright
Henry Arnold Wright
George Herbert Wright
Isabella Wright
Anne Wright
“To be continued..
not just any family 
I found your website by looking for cheesemongers at Vere Street , Clare Market. A Henry George Stroud married Alice Wright b1865 (her father Charles, mother Jessie) at St Clement Danes in 1884, they had 9 children. Henry’s father Henry Stroud (b 1842) was a cheesemonger at 12 Vere Street, Clare market. Sophia (b 1869) , one of Henry’s sisters married James William Codlin, they were my husband’s grandparents. Distant Codlin relations told me of a connection to Charles Dickens and the Old Curiosity shop. Some of the Codlin’s were hackney carriage drivers in the Drury Lane area. I am looking into the ‘side shoots’ of the direct lines now and am finding all sorts of interesting things. Will look further to see if Alice and Charles are connected to your Wrights.
Regards, Elfi Codlin
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