Notes:

He arrived from England about 1630 probably in Watertown, Massachusetts. He removed to Westhersfield, CT in 1639 and was a respected citizen there.

Personally I suspect that he is the Thomas Wright who was transported to Virginia by Captain Moore Fauntleroy before May 22, 1650 along with 5 children, a wife and maid. It was the same ship that Thomas Underwood came over on, though the ship is not named in the deed records where their names are included. It appears that at that point in time, the ship's master who transported persons to Virginia received large amounts of land for their efforts and the persons they transported are therefore listed in the deed records of Old Rappahannock Co., VA. If so, he died in 1700 on the Isle of Wight. (C-2394)

There is a William Wright who came to America in 1682 aboard the "Bristol Factor" from Bristol, England. He died in Dorchester Co., MD before June 6, 1686. He had a son named Roger Wright. (C-917) There is a Captain Nathaniel Wright who emigrated to Maryland, and settled in Queen Anne's County, about 1673. He left a recorded Will in which he mentions his brothers, Surgeon and Justice Solomon Wright, 1655-1717 of Kent County, and Charles Wright. All three brothers were born in England. It is not known if any of these are Thomas' relatives or not. (C-708)

Thomas married Elizabeth CHITTENDEN?, * on 16 Jun 1657. Elizabeth (daughter of William CHITTENDEN, * Lieutenant or Major and Joanna SHEAFFE, *) was born in 1638 in Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England; died on 17 Feb 1676 in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States of America; was buried in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Thomas Wright, Esq., was born 19 November 1610 in England. His first wife's name is unknown. He came first probably to Watertown, Massachusetts. He was of the Massachusetts Court of Assistants before the Colonial Government was established in Boston, and removed to Wethersfield, Connecticut, probably about 1639. He was recognized as a man of influence and high standing. He was deputy to the General Court of Connecticut in 1643; Selectman, 1658; Commissioner on Town Lines, etc. He was made a freeman on 11 May 1654, and his name is on the 1669 list of freeman. He and Enoch Buck were Constables in 1668 to 1669, and he was on court jury at Hartford the same year. He also seems to have been prominent in the church fight which led many to remove to Hadley, Massachusetts.

Thomas had one homestead of three and one-half acres on the west side of High Street, on which his house was built, probably before 1639. His property was bounded by Robert Abbott, north, and Samuel Clark, south. A house lot of three acres was recorded to him in Wethersfield on 11 December 1640. He received another homestead in 1654 consisting of a house, barn and five acres of land, bought of Samuel Hale, on the west side of Back Street, between Luke Hitchcock, north, and land belonging to Matthew Griswold, south. He bought the Richard Belden lot of twenty and one-half acres in west field in 1654. He became, by purchase, the owner of a large part of the Great Island, thereafter known as Wright's Island, and which he mostly gave to his sons Thomas and James, who bought other parcels of the island. Wright's Island, about six or seven miles below Hartford, lay a little north of an east and west line drawn through Wethersfield.

Thomas Wright was given a grant of land which took in a part of the island, and he increased his part of it by purchase. He gave this to his sons Thomas and James. The latter increased his part of it by purchase, and left most of it to his son James, who acquired nearly all of it and built a house there in 1711. He had a ferry of his own, and a dock was built near the north end of the island. There was a noted fishing place there for salmon and shad. As time went on, the stream east of the island filled up, and a division of its bed was made by arbitration between James Wright and adjacent owners. About 1780/1790, what was known as the island was set off from Wethersfield to Glastonbury, which had been made a town in 1696. The river began to wear away the upper part of the island and continued to do so until the dock finally appeared on the other side of the river, and the Wright living there at that time went and claimed the land about it as his own, and received it too. At the present time, the river flows over what was the island -- "A ten thousand dollar farm gone into the river." The house was removed to Glastonbury, and is now occupied.

The island was called by the Indians 'Mannahannock' (Great Laughing Place). The Indians used to meet there and have games and wrestling.

Thomas married second on 2 May 1647, Margaret Elson, widow of John Elson, who had been killed by the Indians in the Wethersfield massacre of 1637. There were no children from the second marriage.

In his will, Thomas also gave to his wife Margaret, "All the linen that I have in my possession that was of her own spinning." Margaret is said to have been before her marriage to Elson, the wife of, possibly, Hugh Hilliard, or Hillier, by whom she had three children, Ben, Job, and John. She died 1670-1.

Her will dated 19 January 1670/1671, mentions her grandson William, son of Job Hillier, deceased, Margaret Woustan and Sarah Holamouth, daughters of her son Benjamin Hillier, and the wife of her step-son Thomas Wright, (she gives her towe [tow] and if that was not enough, for her labor of love, her executors were to give more.) Inventory of her estate amounted to 82-19/8." Wright Lineage at http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~legends/wright.html

Thomas married Mary CRANBROKE, * on 10 Aug 1629 in South Weald, Essex, England. Mary was born on 21 Sep 1609 in Cranbroke, , Kent, England; died in 1641 in Watertown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Joanna SHEAFFE, * about 1634 in England. Joanna (daughter of Edmund SHEAFE and Joanna) was born in 1614 in Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England; died on 16 Aug 1668 in Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; was buried in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sometimes a Nathaniel Wright is listed as the father of Thomas and husband to Grace Glascock but the following mention in a will dispels that, proving that Grace Glascock's husband was John. Edward Glascock's will dated 1624, mentions "the daughters of Grace, wife of John Wright, of Weald, Essex, Gent." Edward might be a brother of Grace. She is also named in her father's will as well as others:"Glascock Will Extracts from the Visitation of Essex.By I. L. Glascock Beginning with John Glascock whose son Henry Glascock died 1606, showing the position of his daughter Grace, who married John Wright.Henry Glascock will dated 1606, leaves his daughter Grace L133-13-14, and mentions "John Wright, my god-son, my daughter's son."Ignatius Glascock, in his will dated 1652, mentions his "sister Grace Wright, widow."Weston Glascock, in his will dated 1626, mentions "brother Wright's three daughters."Thomas Glascock of Solchester, in his will dated 1631, mentions "brother John Wright and his wife."In 1581, "John Glascock of Roxwell, Gent. John Wright of Kelvedon, Gent. and Thomas Laike of Watham, Holy Cross yoeman," were the supervisors appointed under the will of William Glascock of Fifield yoeman. Dated 6 April 1579." Brook Hall where John and Grace resided was also called "The Moat House".

Lord married Lady Grace Swindles GLASCOCK on 5 Nov 1600 in Brook Hall in South Weald, Essex, Eng. Lady (daughter of Henry GLASCOCK, daughter of Henry GLASCOCK and Lady Grace DE MAYE (MAY, MAYO, EUMIO)) was born on 14 May 1579 in Kelvedon, Essex, England; died on 25 Jul 1653 in Dagenham, Essex, England; was buried in South Weald, Brentwood Borough, Essex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Rev. married Elizabeth HATCH on 13 Nov 1593 in Hawkhurst, Kent, England. Elizabeth was born in 1559 in Tenterden, Kent, England; died on 29 Apr 1633 in 1667687, Kent, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Edmund married Joanna. Joanna was born in 1575 in Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England; died on 1 Aug 1659 in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States of America; was buried in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]