Dear Peter
Everything I have is very confused. I am searching my paternal grandmother's family, 'Fox'. I have got back to Charles Fox who, according to various census data, was born in 1781 in Suffolk. There the trail goes cold and nothing so far has revealed his parentage. I commissioned both the Essex and Suffolk record offices to search for him. Essex produced the information that between 1804 and 1816 he rented land from Thomas Wright of Shenfield. Having nothing else to go on I decided to research Wright to see if any incidental data cropped up.
1 "A Rough Plan of the Estate of the Rt. Hon. Lady, Baroness
Lucas in Suffolk and
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-808-1/dissemination/pdf/elphinwa1-29176_6.pdf. This shows Wright as having three pieces of land named the Great, Middle and Small Ordinarye. Very RC!
2. There are several references to Wright coming into possession of a significant property called 'Fitzwalters' (after the original owners), locally referred to as the 'Round House'.
3. There are some curious papers in the National Archive/Stafford Record Office suggesting that Thomas Wright married Mary Comtesse de Front (formerly, I think, Mary Bostock).
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=169-d4731&cid=14-1#14-1The contents of doc D4731/14/1 29 Jul. 1814 are described as the 'Marriage settlement in consideration of the marriage of Mary, Comtesse de Front and Thomas Wright, in lieu of dower.
Co. ESSEX, ps. SHENFIELD and MOUNTNESSING, close called "Newlands" (11a.)
Wright/Trustees for de Front'.
I ran a quick search for her and could only find
http://www.pugin-society.1to1.org/LL-gaz-app4.html, which seems to deny the marriage.
4 Googling reveals a number of hints about Wright. He seems to have been involved in works of art and antiques perhaps, which has some interest for me.
5. The other tenant on his property (perhaps this was farm land?) was one Charles de Grys. I suspect him to be the same C d G as died in 1838. An Easter de Grys was born in Doddinghurst (near Shenfield) in 1828 - possible son.
5. As you can see I'm no nearer finding this line of my ancestors! I was interested in your comment that Wright was probably a Catholic because I had come to the same conclusion about Charles Fox. Le Grys may have been also. Charles seems to have a link to the Smallpeece/Fox alliance in Suffolk, but heaven knows what. Also Charles, who moved with his family to London c1818 where they became decidedly Anglican, is said to have been a 'broker' (1841 census) and an 'appraiser' (1851 census). I believe that appraisers worked in the art/antiques business and I'm wondering if Charles worked for Wright?
I don't know if any of this is of any use to you. If you feel inspired to search further and happen across Charles Fox - or any old Fox - please let me know.
Happy hunting
Barbara
