BERTHA WHITTENBURY (born c.1810)

[Hugh Wright]

Hi Francis,

Good to hear from you.  I note you are a Wright too but have yet to work out whether your Wright has its origins from Derbyshire.  Searching the family pedigrees is a bit of a tangled web.

There is the marriage of Jeremiah Whittenbury to Elizabeth Wright.  Have had a look at your website.
Did not know that it was Jeremiah's second marriage to her.  See that there another marriage in the two families for Georgina to James Farewell Wright a cousin.

Rather looks as if I failed to attach an image previously from the pedigree in my possession for Jeremiah Whittenbury to Elizabeth Wright.  The other image I took last Thursday at the Derbyshire Record Office for Georgina Whittenbury to James Farewell Wright.   There are instances for the Wrights to have married same families several times over!  For example the Vernons from Sudbury and Clontarf outside Dublin, three times but no descendants in existence today.

I see you make references to Joseph Wright of Derby's paintings on your website.  My parents did try to see if he was related to us either at Great Longstone or Eyam but could not find any proof.  I rather think without checking, that he had a similar coat of arms to us.

Have recently come across a very distant cousin, Kaye Strand, in New Zealand.  Common ancestor a William Wright in 1603!  Her lineage is interesting as she is a descendant of the Bassano family.  The first generation of Bassanos in this country were musicians to Henry VIII!   Incidentally, Joseph Wright painted at least one member of the Bassano family.

Intriguing, is it not?

Regards

Hugh

[greenman]

Hello Hugh,
How very nice to get your reply. I am indeed a Wright - on my mother's side of the family - but not a Derbyshire Wright.
Mine were in Hillingdon. They were in Colham Green, very near Hillingdon Hall, which I believe had a Derbyshire Wright connection. The Wrights of Colham Green were apparently market gardeners, and I don't know if there was a Derbyshire connection or not. I would be pleased to think there might be.
My mother married a Czech but I have always used my mother's surname (people can actually pronounce it!)
My mother's mother was a Gisborne, which is where the connections with the Whittenbury family come in. The Gisbornes were mainly 'professional' (lawyers, etc) but they go back a long way and have an interesting history. I am delighted that Joseph Wright of Derby painted the Rev. Thomas Gisborne and his wife, and I look forward to finding his picture of whichever Bassano it happens to be.
Thank you for the Bassano family reference. The historian A.L.Rowse was delighted to have cracked the riddle of Shakespeare's Dark Lady, declaring her to be Emilia di Bassano, who was also a poet at the English Court. Forgive me, you probably know all that - and I don't think there has ever been any conclusive proof!! It's probably yet another influence for 'Shakespeare in Love' ...
Jeremiah Whittenbury's first wife Mary died in 1800, and he married Elizabeth Wright in 1802. They didn't hang around in them days.
And yes, it is all very intriguing. I hope my waffle makes sense.
Many thanks again for contacting me, and do let's keep in touch.
All the very best,
Francis
(Crickhowell, Powys, Wales.
I was in Richmond, SW London for 35 years beforehand!)