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Updated: 15 Dec 2002

In Search Of
Nelson W Bishop
and Tempy Wright
By: John Bishop jbishop@accessone.com

Bishop - Conner - Wright

According to my information: Nelson W. Bishop (I know not what W stands for) was born in Connecticut. He was born 4/8/1818 and married Tempy "Wright" on 4/8/1818. He must have been a bit of a romantic. My belief is that Tempy was adopted by the Wright family of Hamilton County Indiana (just north of Indianapolis).

I supect her birth surname was Conner (no proof for ANY of this).

Tempy recorded her birth place as "Austria" in the Missouri Census of 1880... I do not believe that was true. She also said in that Census that she did not know the birth place of her parents. I am sorry to say that she was probably covering the fact that her birth-mother was the daughter of a Delaware Indian chief who sold her to John Conner for a few horses. I suspect that the English name of her birth mother was Sarah.

John Conner died in 1826. He probably hid Tempy from the authorities. By having the the sainted Wright family take her in as their own, John could protect his daughter from "removal".

The Conner boys were cleaver traders.

John's brother William, on the other hand, was younger and took the Indian removal orders as a way to begin a new family (my theory). He sent his entire family away. The heirs returned to Hamilton County to reclaim the substantial estate of their birth in 1860. They failed.

The Wright family who (I think) adopted her were long time pioneers of Indiana. The following is fairly authentic data taken from Census, land and marrage records:

Tempy's Wright family:

Joshua Wright moved onto land in Clay Twp, Hamilton Cty, Indiana in 1832. Mary Ann (Morgan) Wright was Tempy's mother. Tempy married Nelson W. Bishop on 4/8/1841, she was born about 1822. 1850 Census in Hamilton Cty Indiana says she was illiterate. Mary Ann Wright and Joshua Wright sold them a farm in 1843 for 50 dollars.

Nelson and Tempy had several children

  • Mary Ann Bishop b. in Indiana about 1843
  • Sarah E. b. in Indiana about 1845
  • Joshua C. b. in Indiana about 1846 never married
  • Joseph b. in Indiana about 1849 died by age 10)
  • John W. b. in Indiana about 1850-51 (John was MY great grandfather, his son Jospeh was my grandfather)
  • Nelson b. in Missouri
  • Marion b. in Missouri

adopted children included
  • David (went to college)
  • Ellen

The family sold the farm in Hamilton Cty Indiana December 27, 1852. They went to Missouri and in 1854 purchased land in Scotland County, MO. They sold the farm in Scotland Cty in 1852 and they moved to Knox county sometime in 1852. Nelson died in 1884. What happened to Tempy I do not know. She variously used the names Tempa, Tempy, Tempala and I also think she tried Marie on for size.

If any of this sound interesting let me know.

John Bishop
E-Mail: jbishop@accessone.com

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