The English John Wright
John Wright was born 2 July 1820, Laxfield, Suffolk Co, England.   His parents were John Wright (an itinerant farmer) and Elizabeth Sayer, of Laxfield, Suffolk, England.   Young John "whom we are calling "The English John Wright" was baptized there on 20 May 1821.   His father died while he was at a young age, prior to 1833. This John Wright disappears sometime after 1733 and no more is heard of him in the English records.   John had a younger brother named William who married Elizabeth Bracegirde and raised a family of six children.   John also had a younger brother named Alterman and a sister Caroline who both died a a young age, 1833 and 1834.

Of William's children one was a son named Joseph Wright.   Joseph who is our main subject on these pages arrived in Topeka, Kansas in the mid 1880's with a new bride.   He sailed aboard the ship Servia" from England, to New York and immediately after arrival he went directly to Kansas.   What is unusual about this is that very seldom did a new arrival with a new wife get off the boat and go directly to Kansas (or any other area).   They normally stayed near the port for a period of time adjusting themselves to their new country, then moved on as they became acquainted with he new county.   However it would not be unusual to go directly to Kansas if someone was there waiting for them.   It could be possible that someone was there to have prepared for the arrival of his relative, possibly an uncle.

[Information on John Wright Sr and the rest of his family was provided by Claire Wright, Solano Co, CA.]

The American John Wright
With the English John Wright having disappeared some time after 1833, and the American John Wright arriving in America about 1840 and being first recorded in 1845 when he married Ruth Drake, it is very possible that the two John Wrights are one and the same.

We are putting together a history of the "American John Wright family" of Ottawa, LaSalle Co, IL, as we have it recorded on the database at this time.   In doing so, we find he may have a nephew Joseph Wright.   We hope to be able to prove these connections in time.   In putting together the information on Joseph Wright we will provide his ancestors and descendants as we know them, also census records, wills, individual histories, military records, cemetery records and even photos.   We will begin with the information that we have available, but am in need of any information you may have on the family, their descendants or ancestors, or anything that will be of help.

If you would like, we will add your name to the list of researchers of this family.   We will also provide a link to, all other web sites researching this name.   If you have knowledge of any, please submit them for this list.