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My Wright Family - Aaron Wright (c1765/75-aft 1822) and Mary Murphy of NC (Surry County)Home > Genealogy > Surnames > Wright > My Wrights Introduction - A History of my research on this family My Wright Family - Data on my Wright ancestors IntroductionThe Wright family was the first family I ever researched. In the summer of 1980, my Uncle Garland S. Grant Jr took me (along with his children) on a trip to Topton, Cherokee Co, NC to visit his grandmother Della Wright George, my Great Grandmother. I had been there alot as a small child, but this time I was 14 years old and more aware of what was going on. While my cousins Sonny and Kerrie and I were playing around in Granny George's house (that is what we called Della), we noticed several old photographs on the walls. Della was in poor health at this time, and was residing next door with her daughter Marynell Lequire. We went over to talk to her about it. She said the pictures were of various family members, and she and Marynell talked about the family a little bit. The conversation suddenly made me very interested in my roots. I had a notebook with me and we asked Della about her family. She wasn't able to talk to us very much because of her health, but she did tell us a little. She told us that her father was "A.A. Wright" and that her grandfather was "Jimmy Wright". Aunt Marynell said she would writeup the George and Wright family history for me, so I gave her my notepad. About an hour later (or less), she had listed all of the descendants of Aaron Alexander Wright down to the present generation, or at least those she knew of (there were a few members of the family that had been "lost" due to moving away and falling out of contact). She also included some data on Jimmy Wright's family as well, though not as much there. This trip was what gave me the "genealogy bug", and I've had it ever since. Later, while talking to my grandmother Luella George Grant, she gave me a copy of a Wright family history written by her 1st cousin Alton Wright, most of it was a transcript of a 1977 interview Alton had with Della Wright George (his Aunt). This document, plus what my Aunt Marynell wrote up for me, provided the core of my Wright family data. Marynell and my grandmother Luella both thought that James S. Wright's father was named Aaron Wright. About the same time, my Grandmother Luella, or her sister Marynell (I don't recall which now) told me about Margaret Walker Freel's book on Cherokee County called "Our Heritage". They neither one had a copy, but they knew she had written up the Wright family in the book. I finally found a copy at the NC State Library, and found the writeup on the Wright family. This document showed James S. Wright's father to be Aaron Wright, just as my people had thought. During various trips to Cherokee County, I went to the Red Marble Baptist Church Cemetery near Topton, and, as I was told, many of my Wright ancestors and Wright relatives were buried there. I found James S. Wright and wife Caroline Winfrey Wright side by side. Near them was Aaron A. Wright and Dulcenia Waters. By this time Granny George (Della Wright George) had died, and she was also buried there beside her husband Charles Noten George, my Great Grandfather. I found many other relatives there as well, and wrote down all the information on their stones and markers. Margaret Freel's article on the Wright family was apparently submitted by Mrs. Bruce King. This was Juanita Tatham (1881-1959), wife of Bruce King, and granddaughter of James S. Wright and Caroline Winfrey. Mrs. King (it isn't clear whether she wrote the article, or just gave Mrs. Freel the information) stated that the Wright family was of Irish descent. She said that the first Wright (in our family) came from Ireland, and settled in Kentucky for awhile, then migrated to "near present Oxford, NC", then to Surry County, NC. She says his name was "Aran Wright". To date, I haven't been able to confirm all of this, but we do know that the Wright family was in both KY and Surry Co, NC. I have no proof about their Irish origins though, nor of them living near Oxford, NC (Granville County). I'm still looking for more data on that. I back tracked our Wright family through the census records. First, I checked the 1900 Cherokee Co, NC census, and found James S. Wright and wife, and many of their children and grandchildren all in the same area (Valleytown Township). I backed them up to the 1880 census, and found them all in the same general area. Same with 1870. Then back to 1860. This census, unlike so many others, was special. For one reason or another, the census taker for 1860 Cherokee Co, NC decided to record the county of birth for everyone, instead of just the state. James S. Wright and family were listed, with he and his wife Caroline's birth place listed as "Surry Co, NC". This proved they came from Surry. I backed them up to the 1850 census, where they were in Cherokee Co, NC. Even though James S. Wright was married by ca 1838, I did not find him listed on the 1840 census. I found records for James S. Wright in Surry Co, NC in the 1830's. I did check in Surry Co, NC census records and found his father Aaron Wright listed there on the 1820 and 1810 census. I didn't find Aaron there in 1800, nor 1790. I later found Aaron Wright's marriage bond in Surry Co, NC in 1792. I found several records for Aaron Wright in Surry County, NC from the 1780's through the 1820's, and some for his widow Mary up through 1840. Delfa Ellis wrote me and told me about Richard Murphy, who's daughter Mary was married to Aaron Wright. Records show that the Murphy and the Wright's were in Lincoln Co, KY by the mid 1790's. This explains where Aaron Wright went to in KY. They had apparently moved there ca 1795, and came back to Surry Co, NC ca 1804 or so. Aaron was listed in Lincoln Co, KY on an 1800 tax list. That confirmed some more of Mrs. Freel's article. The only thing left was the connection to Oxford, NC and the Irish connection, neither of which I've confirmed yet. Of great interest is that some of the Wright families who were in Granville Co, NC (where Oxford is), did wind up in Lincoln Co, KY at the same time. This seems to suggest they are Aaron's relatives. To date, I've not been able to go further back than Aaron Wright. He was born ca 1765/75 based on census records. Mrs. Freel implied that Aaron Wright was born in Ireland, and immigrated to NC, but she didn't state this outright. She did say the Wrights came from Ireland, but not Aaron specifically. Census data and other data seems to show that Aaron was born in NC, probably Surry County (or perhaps Granville County). I've had quite a bit of help on this family from other researchers, and I have put alot of effort into this line myself as well. So, mainly, I can thank my Great Grandmother Della Wright George (deceased), my Grandmother Luella George Grant (deceased), my Great Aunt Marynell George Lequire, my cousin Alton Wright, Mrs. Margaret Walker Freel (deceased) for her book "Our Heritage", and Juanita Tatham King (deceased) for her contribution to that book. I also have to thank my cousin James E. "Jim" Cockerham for data shared on the Wright's in Surry Co, NC and several other cousins have shared bits of information here and there that helped alot. My Wright ancestorsAaron Wright was born ca 1765/1775 in NC, possibly in Surry Co, NC or perhaps Granville Co, NC. Family tradition says he was of Irish origin. He married Mary Murphy (daughter of Richard Murphy and Kesiah Terry) in 1792 in Surry Co, NC. They moved to Lincoln Co, KY shortly afterwards, and were there approximately 10 years, then they returned to Surry Co, NC. Aaron died in Surry sometime after 1822. Mary remained in Surry until the 1840's, when she and several children moved to Union Co, GA, where she died sometime after 1850. James S. Wright, son of Aaron, was born in 1813 in Surry Co, NC. He married Caroline Winfrey (daughter of Caleb Winfrey and Arabella Moody) there ca 1838. They moved to Cherokee Co, NC ca late 1840, early 1841, and remained there. He died there in 1902, and she in 1916. Aaron Alexander Wright, son of James, was born in 1847 in Cherokee Co, NC. He married Annis Dulcenia Waters (daughter of Jacob Jackson Waters and Emily A. Tanner) in Macon Co, NC in 1876. They lived their lives in Cherokee Co, NC in the Rhodo and Topton communities. A.A. Wright was accidentally killed by a nephew in 1907. Dulcenia died in 1918 during the flu epidemic. Della Christmas Wright, daughter of A.A. Wright, was born 1896 in Cherokee Co, NC. She married, first, to Albert Conley who was killed in a train accident (he was an engineer) in 1914. She married, second, to Charles Noten George in 1918. They were my Great Grandparents. He died in 1952, and she in 1982. For information on other Wright families within my area of interest (Western North Carolina only) but who are not known to be related to my Wright family, go to my Wright Families page My Wright Family:Aaron Wright (c1765/75-after 1822) and Mary Murphy (c1771-after 1850)
Last Updated January 16, 2006
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