Deborah Wright (Framlingham, Suffolk)

[windy_miller]

Evening everyone,

I have locate a lady who owned a windmill in Framlingham (late 1700s to early 1800s).  Her name was Deborah Wright (a milling & millwrighting family).  I'd be very interested if anyone knows the name of Mr. Wright?  When he died etc.  It seems she had at least two children James and Christopher.

Thanks in advance,
Windy

[QueenoftheWest]

Just about to go to bed, and a little tired, but I thought I would have a crack at this one because it seemed interesting!

First I looked for a marriage between a Mr. Wright and a Deborah in Suffolk and found this:

Fr [Francis] Wright married Deborah Daniel in Stradboke, Suffolk in 1744.

Then found the baptism of a son, James:

James Wright, son of Francis & Deborah Wright, baptised on 25th October 1745 in Wingfield, Suffolk.

However, I could not find any other children.

But in the UK, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices' Indentures, 1710-1811, I found a Francis Wright of Framlingham, Suffolk, miller, taking on an apprentice, William Wright, in 1779.

Queenie 

[QueenoftheWest]

Looks like Francis died in 1785, aged 67, in Framlingham.

In this bundle of documents relating to the Victoria Mill in Framlingham:
https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/collections/getrecord/GB173_HD1673_1

There is the "Will of Francis Wight (1785)", which I assume is a typo?

Queenie 

[QueenoftheWest]

Some more interesting reading here:
https://suffolkarchaeology.co.uk/reports-pdfs/2007_130.pdf

"The earliest document mentioned in the abstract is an indenture dated 10 August 1779. At
that time the mill was described as ‘All that messuage tenement & windmill then late of
Edmund Cocking & then of him the said Francis Wright with all the stones, sails, stone rope
tackle furniture & apparel outhouses & buildings lands yards gardens & orchards to the said
messuage or tenement & windmill belonging as the same are situate … near a certain field
called Fairfield’.
There a copy of the will of Edmund Cocking in this bundle dated 1738. In the will he
devised ‘all other my messuages, lands, tenements Wind Mill, hereditaments and all other
premises …’ to his wife Rachel Cocking, for the term of her natural life and then to his son
also Edmund Cocking who was then under ‘his full age of thirty years’. In June 1750 the
executors sold the mill to Francis Wright."

Queenie 

[windy_miller]

Thanks Queenie,

Very, very interesting.  Deborah owned a windmill in 1803 and a Christopher Wright was killed when he got dragged into the machinery that year.  I assumed he was a son, but could have been a brother-in-law, nephew.  Will need to research more.

Also need to follow up on the Fairfield mill site & Victoria Mill.

Thanks,
Windy

[windy_miller]

Pretty sure the Francis Wight mill is one at Victoria Mill site, but that pre-dated that particular brick tower mill.

Windy

[QueenoftheWest]

Deborah owned a windmill in 1803 and a Christopher Wright was killed when he got dragged into the machinery that year.  I assumed he was a son, but could have been a brother-in-law, nephew.

A grandchild?

Christopher, son of James (occ: miller) & Sarah Wright, was born on 9th July 1794 in Framlingham.

Christopher, son of James & Sarah Wright, was buried on 29th August 1803 in the same place.

He would have only been 9 years old. How sad.

Queenie 

[windy_miller]

Yes, indeed.  I did not know his age, but his slop got caught in the machinery and he was crushed.  I think he was working for his father at the time, in his grandmother's mill.

One of may killed in a similar manner in windmills.

Windy

[Suffolk Mawther]

Pretty sure the Francis Wight mill is one at Victoria Mill site, but that pre-dated that particular brick tower mill.

There was a Post Mill before the Tower Mill in Victoria Mill Road in Fram.
We have a picture drawn at the time that shows it quite clearly.

Pat