Frett and Wright in Hastings/Lewes

[mustangwright]

I know it is a long time past this particular thread, but I wish to submit some information for consideration.

In 1807, at St Thomas in the Cliff in Lewes Sussex, there is a marriage record for a Samuel Wright and Ann Wakefield.  In 1809, a Maria Wright was baptised in the same church to parents Samuel and Ann Wright.  In 1811, a William Wright was also baptised to Samuel and Ann Wright.

Skipping forward to 1838, at Paddington St James Church, a Maria Wright married Charles Henry Hart and her Father was listed on the marriage record as Samuel Wright, Watchmaker, the witnesses being John Hart and Sarah Cope.  Charles and Maria have two children Charles Henry Hart in 1842 and Francis John Hart in 1844.

There is also a further entry for a marriage at Paddington St Mary in 1851, between William Wright, Widower, Shoemaker, Father Samuel Wright, Watchmaker to an Elizabeth Honess Coveney.  William Wright did have 7 children in a previous marriage to Deborah Hammond.

The census records for both Maria and William point to their respective birth years and birthplace of Lewes Sussex.

There is a baptismal record for a Daniel Lancelot Wright born 1819 to Elizabeth and Samuel Wright, Watchmaker of Ratcliff Highway, St George in the East.  There is also a Sun Fire insurance record in 1818 for a Samuel Wright Watchmaker of Ratcliff Highway.  In addition, a burial record in 1821 for Samuel Wright age 42 of Ratcliff Highway.

Another interesting but separate record is for an Ann Wakefield (spinster) marrying Isaac Cope in 1815 at Paddington St James.  Ann and Isaac Cope (a shoemaker) have 7 children including James Cope (husband of Ann Luella Frett).  One of Isaac and Ann's sons (Francis Cope) ends up being transported to Tasmania for postal fraud.

The Zipporah Wright refered to above could be Ann Luella Frett's Mother.  There are two baptismal records of interest for Ann Luella Frett.  The first in 1812 in Hastings Sussex in Non Conformist records to William and Zipporah Frett.  The second in 1822 in St Marylebone to William (soldier) and Zeborah Frett with the same birthday in 1811.

If anyone has additional information on any of these particular family groups, please post.

[Francey]

Delighted to receive notification of your posting today, Mustangwright - it just shows the value of staying on the site.  Since my original query I'd researched further and come to the conclusion that the William Wright mentioned in an old family memoir was really Samuel Wright.  I'd also found the entry for Maria Wright's marriage to Charles Hart.  This tied up with memoir notes.

The insurance/burial records for Sam. Wright don't appear to tie up (unless he and Ann both entered into second, bigamous marriages) because Ann Wright, nee Wakefield, went on to marry Isaac Cope, following the death, according to an old family bible, of her first husband (noted as Wm) in 1814.  As you are also aware, Ann is described as Ann Wakefield, spinster, in the entry for her marriage to Isaac Cope.  The same family bible does indeed mention Zipporah Wright as being Ann Luella Frett's mother.  It seems a coincidence that there appear to be Wrights on two sides of the family and wonder if some confusion has occurred.

I have details of Ann & Isaac Cope's children - there were 8 in total, though the first died when only half an hour old.
I was intrigued to learn about Francis Cope's misdemeanours - this has certainly been omitted from the family history.  Probably because his brother James was a letter carrier for the Post Office and superintendent of the Sunday School at St John's Holloway Road!  Can you tell me where you found the information?
Sarah Cope, A & I's only surviving daughter is my great-great grandmother.  She married Richard William Rutherford in 1855.
If you have any more relevant information, or ideas, I would be very pleased to hear from you.  If you think I have anything that might help your research please let me know.

[mustangwright]

Great to hear that you are still on the list Francey.  My link to these families is through Samuel Wright and Ann Wakefield's second child William Wright born 1811, Shoemaker.  William's first marriage was to Deborah Hammond in 1832.  Their first son, William, born around 1833, married Emma Jane Livermore in 1859, he was also a Shoemaker. Their second son, Samuel, headed off to Australia after 1851 and became a Carrier in NSW.  Their third son John Wright married Eliza Grace Arbor in 1859.  There were another 4 children to William and Deborah, all of which I haven't been able to track down marriages for.  Deborah died of consumption after the birth and death of her 7th child in 1850.

The information on Francis Cope you can find The Old Bailey online, he was indicted on 24 Nov 1845.  I am not 100% sure this is the right Francis Cope but the age generally matches up.  He serves his sentence in Tasmania, however, he may have met an early death in 1863 in Victoria.

I would be more than happy to share more information, however I am unsure how to pass on my contact details.  I am on Ancestry under the same user name if that helps?