"Footprints in Time" Beginning 1600 in America Submitted By: DM Wright
7. Capt Richard Wright (1633-1663)
"Mr. Richard Wright," "Gent." Captain." "Justice," "Merchant" of
Northumberland County, VA first appears of record in America on 20 June Aug
1566, in a deposition made on that day by him, in which he gave his age as
"22 yeares or thereabouts," thus placing his birth date at about 1633. It is
unlikely that he had been in America much earlier and quite certain that he
had no close relatives in America when he came.
On 29 May 1956 he described himself in an agreement with Mr Hugh Lee of VA as
"Richard Wright of London, merch't being homeward bound"
About two months before returning to England in 1657 he had married Ann Mottrom,
born in England in 1639, the daughter of Col John Mottrom. At the time of
this marriage the Mottroms lived at Chicacoan, Northumberland County, VA.
Colonel Mottrom was one of the founders of Northumberland County and its first
representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses. (see CA Hoppin Vol I,
chapter on the Mottroms) &nsp; Upon arriving again in VA late in the year of 1657,
Richard Wright became administrator of the estate of Col Mottrom.
[Extracted from the book EARLY VIRGINIA IMMIGRANTS. available Orlando Public Lib,
Orlando FL.]
{Wright, Capt. Richard, 1662, owned land adj. grant to Isack Allerton,
Westomoreland Co}
{Wright, Capt. Richard, 1664, Owned land in Westmoreland Co, adj. grant to
Henry Vincent (10/3/1664)}
The numerous references to "Richard Wright, Gent. in the Northumberland and
Westmoreland County records indicate that he was a young man of marked
executive ability.
He won the judgement which he sought in thirty lawsuits in which he became
involved.
In 1661, with his brother-in-law, Col . Nicholas Spencer, he obtained a
patent to eleven hundred acres of land at Pascattaway, on the Potomac, a part
of which later was acquired by the Washingtons, embracing the site of the
present famous Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington.
Previously in 1658, he had secured patent to 2200 acres between the Lower
Machados River and Nomini Bay on the Potomac. This tract became the lifetime
estate of his son Francis Wright.
Richard Wright died at Coan, Northumberland County, FA, at the age of thirty
years. Probably of Marlaria fever as did so many of the early settlers.
His will, dated 16 August 1663, and proved on the following 10 December,
named his wife Ann, his sons Mottrom and FRANCIS, his dau Ann, and a cousin
in London.
Ann Mottrom Wright, widow of Richard Wright, m David Fox by whom she had two
children, William and Elizabeth Fox.
David Fox died in 1669 and Ann maried a third time to Col St Ledger Codd in 1670.
Five chiuldren may have been born to this marriage. The date of Ann's
death is unknown but was after 1680.
(For detailed reading Richard Wright see CA Hoppins section on Richard
Wright in his 2 Vol works.)
compiled by Julie Wright Brown 1980  Please place in the Subject Line: WEBPAGE-HISTORY 
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