USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Goshen > History of the town of Goshen, Connecticut, with genealogies and biographies based upon the records of Deacon Lewis Mills Norton, 1897 > Part 44
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
Children, born Goshen.
Lowris C., b. Nov. 3. 1821; m. March 6, 1851, Oula Wadhams of Pitts- field, Mass.
Lydia Ann, b. March 8, 1824; m. Nov. 19, 1849, Dwight Gallup of Ledyard, Conn.
Moses A., b. Oct. 15, 1826.
Maria E., b. Dec. 6, 1829; m. Sept. 16. 1851, Ralph I. Scoval.
Eben Gallup. b. 1832; d. 1833.
Rebecca, b. Dec. 22, 1834; d. 1835.
Erastus Payson, h. Dec. 22, 1839; d. Aug. 17, 1842.
VII. MOSES A. WADHAMS (s. Lewis C., Moses, Jonathan, Noah, John, John), b. Oct. 15, 1826; m. Feb. 27, 1856, Harriet N. Allyn of Ledyard, Conn.
Children, born Goshen.
Mary E .. b. July 22, 1858; m. Feb. 24, 1897, Emile Thoman.
Lowris M., b. March 27, 1860; d. Sept. 11, 1863.
William A., b. March 18, 1862; m. Dec. 5, 1888, Hattie Benedict. Chil- dren: Edith, b. Sept. 25, 1889; Moses Allyn, h. March 3, 1892. Lucius D., b. Dec. 4, 1863; d. Sept. 17, 1865.
E. Austin, b. Dec. 29, 1865; m. Nov. 24, 1891, Susie, dau. of James and Rebecca Vaill. Children: Lewis Ezra, b. Aug. 11, 1892; Alta Rebecca, b. Sept. 12, 1894; James Collins, b. Nov. 4, 1895.
558
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Anna L., b. Sept. 6, 1872; m. June 1, 1896, Frederick J. Barton. Alta C., b. Aug. 25, 1874; m. Frederick J. Vaill, Dec. 25, 1894. Child: Anna Wadhams, b. April 14, 1897.
IV. SETH WADHAMS (s. Noah, John, John), b. Nov. 3, 1743; m. June 11, 1767, Anne Catling of Litchfield; d. at G. April 6, 1871; she d. Feb. 9, 1826.
Children, born Goshen.
Nancy, b. Oct. 18, 1767; m. Timothy Child.
David, b. March 25, 1769; m. Phebe, dan. of Cyprian Collins. They had sixteen children: Guy, m. Clarissa Chapin; Minerva, m. Samuel Buell; Clarissa, m. George Stanley; Louisa, m. Moses Wadhams; Maria; David, d. in infancy; Anna, m. Homer Collins; Phebe, m. Roswell Carter; David, m. Ruth Crandall; Mortimer, m. Lucy Putnam; Edward, m. Mary Ann Young; Carlton, m. Sophia Spellman; Seth, m. Elizabeth McKenney; Jane, m. Henry Stephens; Collins, m. Mary Cummings; Adeline.
Seth, b. 1771; m. (1) Lucy Davis; (2) Dotha Davis, her sister. Chil- dren: William, George, Henry, Frederick, Albert, Lucy Ann. Jesse, b. Aug. 22, 1773; in. Sept. 25, 1795, Polly Hopkins. Children: Ralph; Mark; Mary, m. Doctor Hiram Hunt; Marcus; Miles Hopkins, m. Mary Gill; Jennette, m. James White.
Anne, d. young.
Anne, m. Samuel Buell, Litchfield.
Heman, m. (1) Mary Goodrich; and (2) another.
Stephen, d. in infancy.
Norman, b. April 14, 1782; m. (1) Dec. 20, 1809, Patty, dau. of Dr. Joseph North; (2) to Philena Hungerford, who d. Dec. 11, 1858. Children (by first wife): Burr, b. Sept. 23, 1810; m. Nancy Freeman; James, b. Feb. 4, 1815: m. Sarah L. Oviatt; Catherine, b. May 9, 1816; m. Abner Hard; Lyman L., b. March 20, 1818. (By second wife): Albert D., b. Oct. 6, 1825; Norman, b. June 13, 1827; d. July 25, 1850.
Polly, m. Samuel Ives.
VI. JAMES WADHAMS (s. Norman, Seth, Noah, John, John), b. Feb. 4, 1815; m. (1) Sept. 25, 1839, Sarah L. Oviatt, who d. Aug. 9, 1849; (2) Oct. 1, 1850, Fidelia Platt.
Children, born Goshen.
Uri M., b. July 26, 1840; d. Sept. 25, 1863, at Fort Lyon, near Wash- ington, D. C., a soldier in the War of the Rebellion.
Frederick L., b. Dec. 4, 1842; m. June 19, 1870, Sarah M. Goodwin. Children: Frederick Uri, b. Dec. 6, 1871; Sanford H., b. March 20. 1874; Herbert Gold, b. April 30, 1877; Clarence Goodwin, b. June 13, 1886.
Abner H .. b. May 29, 1844; m. May 13, 1873, Hattie P. Thomson. Children: Sarah L ... b. Oct. 16, 1876; Darius T., b. May 26, 1878; Jennie L .. b. April 14, 1887.
James Sanford, b. Oct. 10, 1848; d. 1870.
Orlo E., b. Aug. 26, 1852; m. Nellie Kimberly.
Arthur N., b. Sept. 8, 1854.
559
EARLY GOSHEN FAMILIES.
VIII. ERWIN R. WADHAMS (s. Norman T., Samuel, Moses, Jonathan, Noah, John, John), b. Aug. 1, 1855; m. April 18, 1878, Amy F. Tuttle of Torrington.
Children, born Torrington.
Ada Frances, b. Sept. 30, 1882.
Ray Elbert, b. Feb. 24, 1887; d. March 22, 1887.
Edith Ray, b. April 20, 1892.
V. ABRAHAM WADHAMS (s. Jonathan, Noah, John, John), b. Sept. 24, 1756; m. Jan. 15, 1778, Tryphena Collins, who d. July 21, 1825; he d. Oct. 31, 1834. -
Children, born Goshen.
Myra, b. Jan. 10, 1779; m. Josiah Bartholomew.
Luman, b. Sept. 17, 1781; in. Widow Lucy Prindle. Had six chil- dren, all of whom resided in the state of New York.
Timothy, b. Nov. 15, 1783; m. Maria Denison; d. at G. Sept., 1839. Had four children, who removed West.
Noah, b. Oct. 22. 1785; m. Chloe Wilson.
Abraham. b. Sept. 14, 1787; m. April 5, 1810, Anne Ransom. Chil- dren: Lucia Ann, b. Aug. 2, 1811; m. Earl Johnson; Elvira Adeline, b. April 14, 1814; m. Moses Smith; Mabel Jane, b. Jan. 31, 1819; m. Darius B. Cook; Wallace W., b. May 5, 1821; m. Oct. 26, 1842, Huldah Loverige; d. Nov. 5, 1848; Walstein C., b. Sept. 30, 1824; m. Mary A. Bishop.
Jonathan, b. March 10, 1790; m. Olive Norton; removed to N. Y. Lucy, b. Feb. 2, 1792; m. John Beach.
Edwin, b. March 18, 1795; m. May 22, 1828, Mary Tuttle; d. Aug. 14, 1865; she d. March 15, 1879. Children, b. G .: Martha A., b. April 4, 1829; m. George E. Bidwell; Henry W., b. Aug. 14, 1831: m. Mary Warner; d. March 26, 1864, near the North Anna River, Va .; a soldier in the War of the Rebellion; Cap- tain Luman, b. Dec. 31, 1834; m. Louise Baldwin; was wounded at battle of Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864, and d. June 3, 1864, at White House, Va .; Edward, b. April 15, 1837; d. at Fort Darling, Va., May 16, 1864, a soldier in the War of the Rebellion; Frederick F., b. Sept. 8, 1841; m. Eliza A. Buell: Francis F., b. Sept. 8, 1841.
Alrira, b. June 27, 1797; m. John Parker; settled in Vienna, N. Y. Had fifteen children.
Orlando, b. June 30, 1799; m. (1) Eliza Pickett; (2) Martha S. Pickett. Had six children.
VI JONATHAN WADHAMS (s. Jonathan, Jonathan, Noah, John, John), b. Dec. 3, 1820; m. Feb. 22, 1842, Ann P., dau. T. Allen Lucas.
Children, born Goshen.
Willard Norton, b. Feb. 16, 1843; enlisted in Co. C, Nineteenth Conn. Reg., was chosen corporal; d. in Celestia Hospital, Phila- delphia, Aug. 6, 1862; buried in Hospital Cemetery, “No. 121."
Henry Augustus, b. Feb. 26, 1847; d. 1868.
Jonathan E., b. Jan. 1, 1856.
560
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
WILLOUGHBY.
I. JOHN WILLOUGHBY, m. Oct. 2, 1728, Mary Dibble. The Dibble family lived in the south part of G. His first purchase here was made Dec. 2, 1741, from Asa Hill; 20 acres in the southeast part of the town, a part of the "Squire's Farms." He sold this place to John Dibble, June 4, 1746. On Jan. 31, 1751, he deeded to his wife all his right to any lands in G. At the time of the sale to Dibble he had removed to the northwest part of the town. On March 21, 1753, he, with his wife. joined in a quitclaim of all their land in G. to John, their son.
Children.
John, b. June 28, 1729; m. Dec. 18, 1753, Olive Smith. Children: John, b. Nov. 5, 1754; settled in Shrewsbury, Vt .: Samuel, b. Nov. 22, 1756; m. Prudence Deming. dau. of Wait; both living in Goshen in 1802: Olive, b. Sept. 2, 1758; m. Ephraim Towner; Salmon, b. Sept. 22, 1762; settled first in Cornwall, later, 1814, in Sheffield, Mass .; Mary, b. Feb. 25, 1764; m. Ebenezer Young, and lived in Arlington, Vt .; Zerah, b. Feb. 10, 1767; was member of Assembly for Fletcher, Vt., in 1818; judge of Supreme Court and chief judge for several years before his death, in 1821; Amherst, b. Oct. 1, 1769; was in Huntington in 1808, and in 1815 in Shrewsbury, Vt .; Huldah, b. March 20, 1773; m. Melzah Howe, Goshen.
Josiah, b. Aug. 30, 1731; (I. Goshen Dec. 31, 1804.
Mary, b. Aug. 2, 1734.
William, b. Feb. 25, 1737.
Westal, b. March 31, 1739; m. June 5, 1764, Ruth Arnold. Children: David, b. Dec. 8, 1764; Nancy, b. March 13, 1767; m. Jonah, s. David Butler; Westal, b. Nov. 20, 1769; physician Herki- mer Co., N. Y .; in Congress, 1815-17: founded town of Wil- loughby, Ohio: Arnold, b. Oct. 9. 1771; Ruth, b. April 18, 1776; Ebenezer, b. May 6, 1778; Lydia. b. May 30, 1780: "usannah, b. Nov. 11, 1782; Sarah, b. Feb. 11, 1785; William. b. May 14, 1787. All b. in Goshen.
Samuel, h. April 10, 1741; d. Oct. 9. 1751.
Ambrose, b. Sept. 30, 1743; d. Oct. 7, 1751.
The two brothers. John and Westal, were flourishing in their families, and in business in G. They were large landholders in the northern part of the town, and at the "West side."
WRIGHT.
I. JOHN WRIGHT, Esquire, Lord of Kelvedon Manor. County Essex. England, who acquired Kelvedon by purchase in 1538, and died Oct. 5, 1551. Married Olive
Arms: Azure, two bars argent, in chief a leopard's head, or.
Crest: Upon a ducal coronet a dragon's head and neck, couped, or.
561
EARLY GOSHEN FAMILIES.
II. ROBERT WRIGHT, Esquire (s. John), of Brook Hall, or " The Moat House," South Weald, County Essex, England; Lord of the Manor of Great and Little Ropers; was buried Jan. 25, 1557-8. Married Mary Green, dau. Robert Green of Navestock, County Es- sex, England.
III. THOMAS WRIGHT, Esquire (s. Robert, John), of Brook Hall, or " The Moat House," South Weald, County Essex, England; was buried Oct. 21, 1617. Married - Pake, who was buried Nov. 17, 1603.
IV. JOHN WRIGHT, Esq. (s. Thomas, Robert, John), of Brook Hall, or " The Moat House," South Weald, County Essex, England; was bap. Sept. 13, 1577; was buried May 30, 1640. Married Grace Glascock, dau. Henry Glascock of High Easter Parsonage, County Essex, England.
V. THOMAS WRIGHT, Esq. (s. John, Thomas, Robert, John), was born in England and was bap. Nov. 19, 1610; emigrated to America, coming first, probably, to Watertown, Mass., and settled at Wethersfield, Conn., sometime before 1640, probably about 1639. He was a deputy to the General Court of Conn. in 1643, and was a man of influence and high social standing in the colony. His princi- pal estate was on an island in the Connecticut River, known as " Wright's Island," called by the Indians " Manhannock," (" Great Laughing Place "), where he owned land as early as 1640. This land is no longer an island, the river having changed its channel. In 1792 it was taken from Wethersfield and annexed to Glastonbury, by a resolution of the General Assembly. Part of this land, owned by Thomas Wright in 1640, has ever since and still is (1897) owned by his lineal male descendants. Thomas Wright died at Wethers- field in April, 1670. The name of his first wife, the mother of his children, is not now known. He m. (2) sometime after May 1, 1647, Margaret , widow of John Elson. She d. in 1670, without is- sue .*
VI. Deacon JOSEPH WRIGHT (s. Thomas, John, Thomas, Robert, John), of Wethersfield, Conn., was b. in 1639. His office of Deacon in those days, the title of which appears commonly to have been attached to his name, indicates that he was a man of character and influence, and that he occupied a high social position. He owned land on the east side of the Connecticut River, subsequently
* The records of the English generations are taken from a chart compiled in 1881, by Mr. William E. Wright of Rome, N. Y., from lotes taken from English records by F. Markoe Wright, M.D., of New York, in 1870.
36
562
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
a part of Glastonbury. He died at Wethersfield Dec. 17, 1714, and was buried at that place. He m. (1) at Wethersfield, Dec. 10, 1663, Mary (dau. of John and Mary Foote Stoddard), who was b. May 12, 1643.
Note. - Mary Foote Stoddard, the mother of Mary Stoddard Wright. was b. about 1623, and was a dau. of Nathaniel Foote, Sr .. and his wife, Elizabeth Deming, sister of John Deming, Sr., of Wethersfield. Nathaniel Foote. Sr., was b. about 1593. Elizabeth Deming was b. in England about 1595, and was m. to Nathaniel Foote, Sr., in 1615, in England. Nathaniel Foote, Sr., d. in 1644. and his widow, Elizabeth Deming Foote, afterwards married Thomas Welles, who was for many years Governor of Conn. She d. July 28, 1683. Mary Foote, dau. of Elizabeth Deming and her first husband, Nathaniel Foote, Sr., was m. to John Stoddard in 1642. John Stoddard d. in Dec., 1664. His widow, Mary Foote Stoddard, m. John Goodrich, Sr., widower, of Wethersfield, in April, 1674. There were no children by this marriage; and John Good- rich, Sr., d. in April, 1680. Mary Foote Stoddard Goodrich after- wards m. Lieut. Thomas Tracy of Norwich, Conn., who d. Nov. 7, 1685.
Mary Stoddard, the first wife of Deacon Joseph Wright, d. at Wethersfield Aug. 23, 1683; and he m. (2) March 10, 1685, Mercy Stoddard, who was b. in Nov., 1652, a sister of his first wife. His second wife survived him.
VII. JOHN WRIGHT (s. Joseph, Thomas, John, Thomas, Robert, John), was b. at Wethersfield May 19, 1679, s. of Deacon Joseph Wright and Mary Stoddard, his first wife; d. at Wethersfield March 8, 1714, less than 35 years of age. He m. at Wethersfield, July 4, 1706, Mercy Boardman, who was b. July 4, 1687, dau. of Lieut., then Ensign, Jonathan Boardman and Mercy Hubbard, his wife.
Note. - Lieut. Jona. Boardman, the father of Mercy Boardman Wright, was b. Feb. 4, 1661; m. Mercy Hubbard Oct. 22, 1685, at Wethersfield; and he d. at W. Sept. 21, 1712. He was a son of Samuel Boardman and Mary - his wife, who settled in Ipswich. Mass., in 1639. He subsequently moved to Wethersfield, where he was a freeman as early as 1669. He d. in 1673. Mercy Hubbard Boardman was a dau. of John Hubbard of Hatfield - Wethersfield. His parents were George Hubbard and Mary - his wife, who came from England about 1635, and settled at Wethersfield. George Hubbard moved from W. to Milford, Conn., in 1639, on the settle- ment of Milford, and subsequently moved to Guilford, Conn., as early as Oct. 6, 1650. He d. in Jan., 1683.
VIII. Lieutenant JOHN WRIGHT (s. John, Joseph, Thomas, John, Thomas, Robert. John), of Wethersfield, Goshen, and Winches- ter (Winsted), Conn., was b. at Wethersfield May 31. 1709; hap. at W. June 5, 1709; moved from W. to Goshen, Conn., between Dec. 12,
563
EARLY GOSHEN FAMILIES.
1740, and Dec. 14, 1741; deeded land in W. to John Morton Dec. 12, 1740, as " John Wright of W."; deeded land in W. (in Stepney Parish, now Rocky Hill), to Samuel Williams, 2d, June 8, 1742, as " John Wright of Goshen " (see Wethersfield Records); bought land of Joseph Bird (one-half of his right), in Goshen Aug. 13, 1740, as " John Wright of Wethersfield " (see Goshen Records); was first chosen to an office in Goshen (surveyor of highways) Dec. 14, 1741; and his earliest recorded survey in Goshen is dated Dec. 20, 1742. He bought lands on both sides of West Street, in Goshen, and, as early as Dec. 1, 1743, was living in his house, which there is no doubt he built, on the west side of the road, a short distance south from the house subsequently occupied by Truman Starr. He sold this place June 21, 1747, to Samuel Price of Wethersfield, and, July 17, 1747, bought of Moses Harris fifty acres situated west of what was formerly known as Canada Village, now West Goshen. His house was on the rise of land, on the north side of the highway, about eighty rods west from the bridge in West Goshen. This house was built by him, and stood at that place until taken down a few years ago. At the top of the chimney of this house was a stone marked "J. W., 1766," which is now in the possession of Mr. Henry G. Wright of Goshen, a great-great-grandson of Lieut. John Wright.
The brick house now (1897) occupied by Mr. Henry G. Wright was built in 1787 by Lieut. Wright's son, Captain Jabez Wright, and stand about three-quarters of a mile from the site of the house last mentioned as having been built by Lieut. Wright. The house built by Captain Jabez Wright passed to his son Asaph, and from him to his son Edward, from whom it passed to Edward's son, Henry G. Wright, the present owner. Lieut. John Wright also owned the lot of fifty acres laid out by Benjamin Frisbie, and the buildings, mills, etc., in Goshen. In March, 1759, he was appointed by the General Assembly of Conn. second Lieutenant of Captain Tarball Whitney's (Tenth) Company, in Colonel David Wooster's (Third) Connecticut Regiment, in the French and Indian War (Colonial Records of Conn., Vol. XI, p. 228 [158]).
Note. - Mrs. Antoinette M. Stevens of East Canaan, Conn., a lineal descendant from a brother of Captain Tarball Whitney, has two old manuscript books, left by Captain Whitney, relating to the campaign of 1759, which give us information about the service of Lieut. John Wright in this campaign. One contains the " Weekly Returns " and " Victualling Returns " of Capt. Whitney's Company throughout the campaign; and the other is a book of accounts be- tween Capt. Whitney and the officers and men of his company, the captain having acted as paymaster of his own company. The latter book contains many interesting signatures to the settlement of ac- counts, and many familiar Connecticut family names. Beside the accounts and signatures of Lieutenants Hezekiah Baldwin and John Wright, and of Ensign Ebenezer Dibble, we have the names, and, in
564
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
nearly all cases, the signatures of 83 non-commissioned officers and privates, including the name of " Drumr." Asaph Wright, who was the eldest son of Lieut. John Wright. From this book we learn that Lieut. John Wright was credited with 36 weeks and 4 days in service in this campaign (this being the longest time credited to any mem- ber of the company), and that his pay was at the rate of £5 per month. We also learn that Asaph had to pay 3s. 4d. for "1 bayonet not returned." From the "Weekly Returns " of the company we learn that, by order of Colonel Wooster, Lieut. John Wright was on detached service - " To keep garrison at Fort Miller," from June 17th until sometime between Nov. 3d and Nov. 11th - the return of the latter date showing that Lieut. Wright had "joyned." The returns show that during this time the company was at Lake George, Ticon- deroga, and Crown Point. Some of the great-great-grandchildren of Lieut. John Wright now (1897) have several silver buttons at- tached to pieces of the uniform waistcoat worn by him during his service as an officer in the French and Indian War, which valued relics have descended in the family.
On March 24, 1769, Lieut. John Wright sold his real estate in Goshen to Jonathan Buell, of the south part of the town. He may not have sold all of his real estate in Goshen at this time. In any event, at the time of his death he owned land in G., mentioned in his will. In 1769 or 1770 he moved with his family from G. to Winsted, in the town of Winchester, Conn., and settled on the northeast side of the Old North Road, near the Colebrook line, on the site of the homestead subsequently occupied by Edward and Edwin Rowley. Lieut. John Wright at this time had five sons living, named, re- spectively, Jabez, Charles, John, David, and Freedom. All of these, except Jabez, who continued to reside in Goshen until his death, moved with their father to Winsted, or moved to that place at about that time, and lived near him and near each other. Their lands were on the borders of and near a small lake or pond, and an outlet there- from, about half a mile south from the Colebrook line. From one of several old deeds, which, with other old family papers and docu- ments, have descended to and are now in the possession of George M. Wright, Esq., of Akron, Ohio (a great-great-grandson of Lieut. John Wright), it appears that Lieut. W. and his son Jabez had pur- chased 120 acres of land in Winchester (Winsted), from Joseph Rock- well, previous to April 19, 1770, of which each owned one-half in common and undivided. On the date last mentioned Jabez con- veyed his undivided one-half of this land (60 acres) to his brother John, described in this deed as "John Wright, Jr., of said Goshen." Another of these old deeds, dated March 31, 1775, gives us the rela- tive locations of the lands of Lieut. John Wright's sons in Winsted. This is a deed from Lieut. John Wright to his son John, Jr. The signature of Lieut. John Wright to this deed, and also his signature, as it appears elsewhere, is written in a plain, bold hand, like that of a person accustomed to the use of a pen. After the death of Lieut.
565
EARLY GOSHEN FAMILIES.
Wright's son David, in the Continental Army, in 1776, the estate left by the latter was settled by agreement between his heirs. The original deed of settlement (now in the possession of George M. Wright, Esq.), dated Dec. 20, 1778, and executed by Jabez Wright, Charles Wright, Dorcas Thompson, and Elisha Thompson, and Lucy Rockwell and Elijah Rockwell, states that David Wright died in April, 1776, " seized of an estate in lands and chattels," " and dyed intestate and without any heirs of his body begotten, whereupon sd estate falls by law to the portion and share of his surviving brethren and sisters the subscribers hereof, viz .: Jabez Wright and Dorcas, the wife of Elisha Thompson, all of Goshen in sd County, John Wright, Charles Wright, and Freedom Wright, all of Winchester in sd County, Mercy, the wife of Ebenezer Shepherd, and Lucia, the wife of Elijah Rockwell of Colebrook in sd County, and the sd heirs being desirous to settle and divide sd estate," etc .; and then follows an agreement and deed by which John, Jr. (son of Lieut. John), and Freedom, his brother, covenant and agree to pay all the debts due from David's estate, and to make certain payments to the other heirs; in considera- tion of which the other heirs convey and release all their interest in David's estate to John, Jr., and Freedom.
Note. - We find no authority anywhere for adding " Moses " and "Samuel " to the list of names of Lieut. John Wright's children, as found in Deacon Lewis M. Norton's "Goshen Records," which have been followed by the Hon. John Boyd in his " Annals of Winchester." The original deed of settlement of David Wright's estate is a docu- ment, the authority of which cannot be questioned; and the names of Lieut. Wright's children, as given in this deed, are the same as those found in his will, and also in the town records of Goshen, ex- cept that the Goshen records give the name "Mary " instead of "Mercy "; and they also give the record of the birth of " Asaph," June 10, 1735, who, no doubt, died prior to the execution of the deed of settlement of David's estate. The will of Lieut. John Wright gives the name " Lucia," the same as it is written in the body of the deed of settlement, while this daughter signs the deed as "Lucy Rockwell." The Goshen records, for some reason, omit the birth of Lucia or Lucy. Samuel and Moses Wright, whom Dea. Norton be- lieved to have been sons of Lieut. John Wright, both left children, and if Samuel and Moses had been children of Lieut. John, their children would surely have been named in the deed of settle- ment of David's estate, and probably would have been mentioned in Lieut. Wright's will, even had Samuel and Moses both died previous to the execution of these instruments. And no child of Lieut. John Wright named "Samuel " or "Moses " is mentioned in any known paper or record, and there is no family tradition of any such " Sam- uel " or "Moses." All of Lieut. John Wright's children born pre- vious to 1741 were, probably, born in Wethersfield, although the early records of Goshen give their names and the dates of their births, except in the case of Lucia or Lucy.
566
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Lieut. John Wright was " moderator " of the first society meet- ing held in Winsted, March 17, 1778; and from what papers and rec- ords are left relating to him he seems to have been a man of promi- nence and influence; which is also true of each of his five sons, who were living when he moved to Winsted. Of his eldest son Asaph we know little more than the fact that he served as a drummer in his father's company during the campaign of 1759 in the French and In- dian War. When and where he died is not now known; but he must have died previous to the execution of the deed of settlement of his brother David's estate, Feb. 20, 1778. His five remaining sons, and, also, a son-in-law, Ebenezer Shepherd, husband of Mercy W., all rendered military service for their country in the War of the Revo- lution. David died in the service. They all seem to have been very public spirited and patriotic, and much interested in military af- fairs. Beside their service in the War of the Revolution, the four surviving sons served as officers of militia in Conn. - Jabez, Charles, and John, Jr., as captains, and Freedom, as Lieutenant. Of these families we find it recorded in Boyd's Annals of Winchester (p. 265), that " The Wrights were a highly intelligent, studious family; sup- porters of religion and good order, and earnest patriots in the revo- lutionary struggle."
Lieut. John Wright d. at Winsted in Nov., 1784, and is believed to have been buried in the adjoining town of Colebrook. His will was dated Nov. 16, 1784, and was admitted to probate at Norfolk, Conn., Dec. 24, 1784. In this will the testator devises and be- queaths property to his " beloved wife Prudence," to his sons Jabez, Charles, John, and Freedom, and to his daughters, Dorcas, Mercy, and Lucia; and, besides his property in Winchester, he mentions 1712 acres of land in Goshen, "lying near Ivy Mountain," which he de- vises to Jabez, upon his paying a certain legacy to Dorcas, and also mentions his right and title "to the Roxbury mines," which he de- vises to Jabez and Freedom. His sons, Charles and Freedom, were named as executors of this will.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.