Benjamin Wright

Notes:

Freeman:
lived to become a freeman

Other Events:

• Immigration: Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut; from England

Notes:

Commemorative Biographical Record of Middlesex County Connecticut
J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1903

Pages 685 ñ 688

WRIGHT. The family of this name has been established in Connecticut from its
earliest Colonial history, and the present representatives in the town of
Essex, Middlesex county ñ Alfred Mortimer WRIGHT and his two sons ñ are worthy
scions of an honored name.

Benjamin WRIGHT, the first of the name in America, came from Bolton or Swale,
in the north of England, to Guilford, Conn. early in the settlement of that
plantation. His name does not appear in the first list of planters who came
hither in 1639, but as only the names of heads of families are given he may
have been of the number. He took the oath of fidelity, as shown by the town
record, May 9, 1645. In September, that year, he was granted permission by the
authorities to put up a tan mill and to take the water "yt issueth from ye
waste gate provided it hurt not ye town mill." In 1650 a list of planters was
made out, and also a list of freemen, and his name appears in the former, but
not in the latter, probably because he was not a church member, Guilford
allowing only members of its church to be freemen, while other Colonies allowed
members of any approved New England Church. In 1659ó four years before the
survey and allotment of land on what is now Main street, Clintonó he was a
freeman and living at Kenilworth (later Killingworth, now Clinton), and his
home is supposed to have been nearly opposite the Pierce JONES place, on the
old Clinton and Westbrook road. He appears to have been a very large
landholder, in 1671 giving his land at Hammonasset, in East Guilford, to his
son-in-law, Joseph HAND, and his wife, Jane; and in the Reports of the Colonial
Assembly is found frequent mention of his landed property in Saybrook. While
living in Guilford he clashed with the authorities several times, not as a
willful lawbreaker, but as a man who stoutly defended what he knew to be his
rights. His death occurred March 28, 1677. He had children: Benjamin lived to
become a freeman, but died without heirs. Joseph and James had considerable in
the division of their father's estate. John. Jonathan married Asena HAND, and
removed to Wethersfield. Jane married Joseph HAND, of Long Island. Elizabeth
married Edward LEE (or LAY), of Guilford. Anna married John WALSTONE, and, for
her second husband, Dr. Peter DALLMAN.

Benjamin married Jane Meigs in 1640 in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut. Jane (daughter of Vincent Meigs and . Churchill) was born in 1617 in Hesketh, Lancaster, England; died on 25 Oct 1684 in Killingworth, Middlesex County, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Vincent married . Churchill. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

L. married A. Woods. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]