The Mystery of the DENTON/WRIGHT Family - Help Please? - COMPLETED - THANK YOU

[jeffery1_6]

Hello,

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me solve a mystery please?

The birth of Mina Wright was registered during the first quarter of 1872 in the Mutford District. She may have been born in the Lound area. Parents are Harry Wright, born Hopton around 1836 and Mary Ann Denton, also possibly born Hopton around 1833.

I've found the marriage registration for Mina's parents. Their marriage was registered in the Mutford District during the final quarter of 1860.

In the census returns for 1861 and 1871, when they are living in Hopton and Lound respectively, they and their offspring are using the surname Wright, as you would expect.

However, from 1881 onwards Henry seems to disappear (and I can't seem to find a death registered for him) and suddenly his wife Mary Ann is classing herself as unmarried/single and both she and her children are now using her maiden name of Denton. The children seem to use the surname Denton for the rest of their lives and never revert to Wright, even though it seems they were registered as Wright at the time of their birth.

In 1881 Mary Ann is listed as unmarried & is going by her maiden name of Denton. She is living in Browston Road in Belton with her children Elizabeth (23), Benjamin (20 - Ag labourer), Mina (9 - Scholar) & Ernest (2 months).

In 1891 she is still living at the same address, single & calling herself and her children Denton. Living with her is Benjamin (29 - Ag labourer) and Rose (26 - Dressmaker). They too continue to use the Denton surname.

Mina in 1891 can be found working as a general servant for Frederick Reeves, an accountant, and his family at 138 Lewisham Road, Lewisham. She is using the Denton surname. She later marries using her Denton surname.

In total Henry and Mary Ann had 8 children of which I am aware -

Elizabeth b.1858 (out of wedlock it would seem unless she was Henry's by another woman, but
                             even Elizabeth reverts to Denton later on)
Benjamin b.1860

Rose or Rosa b. 1864

Happy b. 1866 (great name!)

Charles b.1868

Mary Jane b. 1869

Mina b.1872

Ernest b.1881 (there seems to be a big gap of 9 years since the last child)

I would love to find out what happened to Henry Wright and why the family seem to have denounced his name. Can anyone help please?

Also, if anyone can provide me with any additional info on baptisms or indeed anything with regards to this family, I would be very, very grateful. 

[Suffolk Mawther]

Happy might well have been christened Kerenhappuch which is a biblical name often shortened to Happy.

Pat ...

[jeffery1_6]

Thanks for that Pat..........that's really interesting.

I can certainly appreciate why it  was shortened to Happy!

[avm228]

Sounds like an abandonment to me!

In 1901 there's a 65 yr old Henry WRIGHT b. Hopton, market gardener, alive and well and living with a wife Ellen (48 b Hopton) and sons Oscar (21 b Lound) and Bartrum (15 b Lound).

Could he be your missing man?

NB baby Ernest Wright/Denton, although enumerated as the son of Mary Ann in 1881, might well in fact be a child of an unmarried daughter of hers such as Elizabeth.

[avm228]

Henry and Ellen WRIGHT are in Lound in 1891, with the following Lound-born offspring (RG12/1495/105/14):

James MANNING stepson 17
Oscar E. MANNING stepson 11
Blanche WRIGHT daughter 7
Bertram H. WRIGHT son 5
Victoria E. SPALDING daughter* (married) 19
Henry R. SPALDING grandson 6m

*Victoria seems in fact to be a stepdaughter of Henry's - she's Ellen V. MANNING in 1881: RG11/1905/126/17.

[jeffery1_6]

Yes, I did wonder if he'd abandoned the family so it's interesting you should say that.

Thank you for the possible lead on Henry Wright in 1901 and 1891, when I have time during this mad run up to Christmas I shall have to see if I can find this Henry going back in the earlier census to see if he's our man............if so and he really did marry Ellen, then it may be we have a bigamist in the family! Either that or he and Ellen never married but just pretended they were married. 

It's great to have your help and input on this one - I really appreciate it. Many thanks.  

[avm228]

Henry WRIGHT the market gardener b. Hopton seems to have been in Lowestoft Hospital in 1881, "married" (though age a fraction out - says he's 43): RG11/1903/92/34.

Marriage, Dec qtr 1883:

Henry WRIGHT
Ellen MANNING

Mutford 4a 1743.

[avm228]

Have you noticed that Ellen MANNING and her 3 yr old son (named Henry! I wonder who his dad was?) were lodging with Henry & Mary Ann WRIGHT in Lound in 1871? RG10/1781/68/2

It looks as though Henry WRIGHT may have done a runner with the lodger.

Perhaps an unimpressed Mary Ann did him a mischief which landed him up in hospital...

 

[jeffery1_6]

Hmmm..........this is very, very interesting...........I hadn't picked up on the fact that Ellen had been the lodger.............maybe Mary Ann hit him over the head with a skillett!!!

It looks as though you've tracked down our man. Everything seems to fit. He took a huge risk staying so local and remarrying! Certainly the dates of the Wright children with Ellen would all fit in with him being with Mary Ann in 1871 but not thereafter.

The plot thickens........it looks as though our Henry Wright was a bit of a lad and bigamist to boot!!!