William Wright, Butler of Bedford

[Ozcaine]

I am looking for any info on William Wright, whose occupation was listed as 'Butler' on his daughter's marriage cert. at St Pancras, London in 1839. he himself married Hannah Pearson 14 July 1812 at St. Margaret's, Westminster, but as he died 8 Feb 1850 in Bedford and was buried 16th Feb at St John's, Bedford, I presume that is where he originally came from. I have copies of letter written to his daughter by his future son-in-law dated 1836 & 1837 to 27 Warren St, Fitzroy Square (London). A check of the 1841 census doesn't show any of the family at that address. Some of the letters imply that he didn't always reside with his family - possibly in service of his employer.
Does anyone have any idea who his employer might be, or any info about Wrights in Bedford?

[bedfordshire boy]

What's the evidence that the William Wright who died in Bedford is the same William Wright who married in London in 1812?  Is there an occupation given on his death/burial entries? If it is the same William it's possible that his employer had a house in Bedford as well as in London.

Bedfordshire baptisms and marriages pre 1813 are virtually all extracted onto the IGI at www.familysearch.org. He was 62 on burial, and there are 15 baptisms in Beds 1780-95.

It will be an effort to whittle them down, and even then there's no guarantee that he's the right William Wright.

Does anyone have any idea who his employer might be.......?

"The impossible is instant, miracles take a little longer" - Rootschat motto

[Ozcaine]

Thanks for answering. I have extracts from the family bible that give William's death - his occupation is listed as 'Gentleman' on his death cert. I'm fairly sure the marriage is the right one- had a researcher look it up for me many years ago. The wife's maiden name is right- Pearson. The son-in law, Bethel Ware, is son of William Ware & Mary Pearson, sister of Hannah. The letters I mentioned start off with bethel writing care of his Aunt.
It was also my thought that Williams employer had a house in Bedford as well as London- wondering how many 'big houses' there were in Bedford at the time.
I had put this into the 'impossible' basket a long time ago, but have recently discovered Rootschat & have seen that miracles do happen!

[bedfordshire boy]

Did the death cert give an address, or just Bedford? Who was the informant? We might be able to trace him/her in 1851. Same with the burial - was an address given? Gentleman and gentleman's butler is quite a step up in social status! Does your family bible state Bedford, or have you tied up the dates?

Do the witnesses at the 1812 marriage provide a clue? Were William and Hannah both otp?

Does your family bible give Hannah's place of death and the date? ie was she alive in 1841

The key might be the 1841 census. Unfortunately William Wright wasn't the rarest name in the world!

Is your tree christensen2 on Ancestry?

Sorry. this post sounds like an interrogation!

David

[gazania]

Have you found the baptisms of William the butler's children?  My ancestor, John Carling, was a butler at Woburn Abbey (skite skite) approx. this time as at the bapt of one of his children in the Woburn church he was listed as "butler at the Abbey".  The only possible marriage I can find for my John is at St James, Westminster, in 180?, on the assumption he served in the London residence as well.  Gazania

[bedfordshire boy]

The Ancestry tree to which I referred gives a birth date of about 12 May 1816 in London, the citation being "IGI bpt", which I can't find on the IGI, for the only daughter Elizabeth Ann Wright. William wasn't in Woburn in 1841. His death/burial in Bedford rather than Woburn, 15 miles away, makes me doubt a Woburn Abbey connection.

[Ozcaine]

Thanks David & Gazania
Yes my tree on ancestry is Christensen 2.

re, the marriage of William Wright & Hannah Pearson 14 July 1812 at St Margarets, Westminster, they were both of the parish. married by Licence by William Groves, Curate. (He signed, she made a mark) witnesses were D. Peswick and George Gilman.

Apparently St Margaret's Westminster records were only partly 'handed in' (extracts only) & held in Westminster Archives (as opposed to the greater London Record Office)- my researcher found this in the days before computers!

Hannah Wright, nee Pearson died 5th December 1844 aged 58 years, at 217 Tottenham Court Rd of cancer of the womb. This was the residence of her daughter & son-in-law (& nephew) Bethel Ware. She is described as the wife of William Wright, Gentleman.Bethel Ware is the informant. (I can't put my hands on the 1841 census at the moment, but am pretty sure she was living with them at the same address - William Wright wasn't)

The family bible says she was buried at Highgate Cemetery, 12 December, aged 57 years.

William Wright's death cert says that he died at St Johns Street, St Johns, Bedford. Informant was Charlotte Kipowell (or Kipswell) - present at the death. he died of Phthiasis of 5 years duration. His occupation on cert was 'Independent'

I cannot find my source for Elizabeth Ann's Birth -(or baptism) I think it might have come from my researcher all those years ago.  The family Bible does mention Ann Wright, born 11 Aug 1814 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon . I think this may be Elizabeth Ann ( she was also called Nancy in the love letters). She died in New Zealand in 1892 aged 78 years (so born c 1814)- her husband/cousin Bethel Ware died in NZ 1865. Their son, Bethel Charles was the informant on his mothers death cert, & said she was born in London, but also said her husband was William Ware - you would think that with a name like Bethel you would know who you were named after!

I haven't found any birth/baptism for Elizabeth Ann - or any other children.
Thanks for your interest.
Janice

[rosie99]

(I can't put my hands on the 1841 census at the moment, but am pretty sure she was living with them at the same address - William Wright wasn't)

In 1841 at Tottenham Court Road Piece: H0107/673    12/7 P8
there is
Ann Ware 25
William Wright 50 Born Middlesex (occ -Ind)
Hannah Wright 50 not bn in county

Is this the couple

[bedfordshire boy]

Charlotte Kipwell alias Nipwell as transcribed by Ancestry in 1851, was actually Charlotte Hipwell née Hart. She married Samuel Hipwell in Bedford in 1822. In 1851 she was living in Bedford St Paul with her unmarried sister Sarah Hart, and was aged 50, a widow, a nurse born Bedford.

Which gets us NOWHERE!

St Johns St, south of the river was a working class area and unlikely to contain large houses where the proprietor would have a butler, if indeed he was still a butler. But what he was doing in Bedford remains a mystery

David