John Wright Family of Lanark County

John Wright Family of Lanark County


    John Wright was born 1810 in Armagh Ireland, the son of Samuel Wright born 1782 and died 25 September 1875 and Mary D. "Wright" born 1773 and died 30 November 1866, John died 7 Feb 1898. All were buried in Boyd Cemetery, Innisville, Beckwith Twp. Lanark County. (Lot 2 Concession 12). Headstone inscribed "natives of Armagh Ireland". John's wife was Jane Boyd who born in 1813 in Keady Parish, County Armagh. Jane died in ( or near) Carleton Place on 5 November 1889 and was buried with John in the Boyd Cemetery. 

    John Wright was very likely in Ramsay Twp. before 1832 when he married and his son Samuel was born. He was listed in the 1837 Assessment roll of Ramsay Twp. on the East ½ of Lot 5 Concession 1 (100 acres ), 10 acres cleared land and 90 acres uncleared land, 2 males over age 16, 4 males under age 16 and one female over age 16. John purchased Lot 5 Concession 1, from William Kemp on 19 July 1842. Kemp had obtained a Crown deed on the property in 1840 but this was likely a method for John Wright to obtain a deed to the land which he had purchased some time prior to 1837.

    The first Quarterly return of Licenses (sale of liquor) issued for the Bathurst district for 1848 for Ramsay lists 5 people including John Wright. Thus we can assume he was running some type of a inn/hotel at the time. 

    There is no 1842 or 1851 census for Ramsay Twp., but John Wright age 52 occupation farmer is listed in the 1861 Ramsay Township census, also listed his wife, Jane Wright, born Ireland 46 yrs. Housewife and children all born Ontario, James age 20 yrs. Labourer, A. Wright age 18 yrs - Blacksmith, Mary Jane age 17 yrs - Spinster, Elizabeth age 16 yrs - Spinster, M. Wright age 13 yrs - Spinster, George age 11 yrs - School, D. Wright age 9 yrs - School, J. Wright age 8 yrs - School, T. A. Wright age 6 yrs - School.

    At the time of 1871 Ramsay Township census John was a farmer and shoemaker owning 250 acres and still living on Lot 5 Concession 1 Ramsay which is located on the Townline with Lanark Twp. (still Lanark County). 

    The Wright property was across the Townline road from Lot 5 Concession 12 Lanark Twp and was about 8 miles west of Carleton Place. 

CHILDREN:

1. Samuel Wright born abt 1832 in Ramsay Twp. age 30 in 1861 census, age 39 in 1871 and 49 in 1881 of Westmeath Twp. Renfrew County. He was still in Westmeath Twp. in 1898 when his father died.

2. William Wright born abt 1835 married Jane Thompson. He lived Westmeath Twp. when his father died in 1898 

3. James Wright born about 1841 Ontario, age 20 labourer in 1861 census of Ramsey Twp. Moved from Clare Michigan on 8 Jan 1877 to Cedar (Gladwin City) Michigan and was a shoemaker and ran a hotel. He is listed in the 1880 census of Cedar Village age 35, wife Jennie age 32 and children William F. age 13, Belle J. age 8, and John H age 6. With them was his nephew Robert B. Wright age 20 (son of Samuel). James went to Duluth Wisconsin in 1890 and ran a hotel there. He died there mid October 1909. 

4. Alexander Wright born abt 1843 age 18 (as A. Wright) in 1861 Ramsay Twp. census, blacksmith lived somewhere in US when his father died in 1898. 

5. Mary Jane Wright born abt 1844 age 17 in 1861 Ramsay Twp. census, married 13 March 1863 to John Martin. She lived Westmeath Twp. in 1898 when her father died. 

6. Elizabeth Wright born abt 1845 age 16 in 1861 Ramsay Twp. census married 30 April 1869 to Benjamin Crampton. She lived in Innisville, Lanark County in 1898 when her father died.

7. Margaret Wright born about 1847/1848 married Thomas Warren abt 1865/7. He was born 28 March 1846 Ramsay Twp and died on 11 Nov 1876 of Typhoid in Michigan. He was son of John Warren and Ann Willoughby (the Warren family lived Lot 2 Concession 2 Ramsay Twp.). She was living in Renfrew (likely Town of Renfrew) when her father died in 1898. She died 1 September 1904 at Scintulata, Assiniboine Territory (some 200 miles west of Winnipeg) in a train wreck of the "Imperial" on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Both buried St. Johns Cemetery, Innisville, Drummond Twp., Lanark County. 

8. George Wright born 1849, age 11 in 1861 Ramsay Twp. census. He died 18 January 1924 married Mary Curtis who was born 1864 and who died 6 August 1900 both buried Boyd Cemetery. Purchased the home farm from his father Lot 5 Concession 1 Ramsay Twp., on 12 November 1889 and was living there in 1898 when his father died. 

9. David Boyd Wright born 4 August 1855 in Ramsey Twp. age 9 in 1861 Ramsay Twp. census, 18 in 1871, census 27 in 1881 Ramsay Twp. census. He was married on 10 Sept 1884 in Gladwin Mich to Nancy (Nina) Moore who was the daughter of Robert James Moore and Catharine Avery and was born late 1854 in Zorra Twp. Oxford County, Ont. He died June 1931 at Flint Mich and was buried in Gladwin. 

10. Isabelle Wright born abt 1855. She married John Gibson (Ruth Wright) and was living in Kitley, Leeds County in 1898 when her father died. 

11. Sarah Ann Wright, born 1855. Married John Willis of Carleton Place. She died 1937 and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery,  Lanark Twp. John Willis was born abt 1855 and was the son of George and Eliza Willis Lot 12 Concession 11 Beckwith Twp. They were living in or near Carleton Place in 1898 when her father died.


Information supplied by: Robert Moore, 77 Metcalfe Street, St. Thomas, Ontario - N5R 3K6.  

Additional information and references are available from Robert Moore - email: [email protected]

Posted: 16 January, 2002.