Bill's Genealogy Blog

Bill Buchanan is a long-time genealogy enthusiast, living in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada. This blog will describe my experiences as I research my family history and help others.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada

I am a retired online school teacher. I love family history. From 2007-2020, I spent much of my time providing part-time support for the world's largest free family history site https://familysearch.org This is very rewarding. I have helped others with the Family Tree and related FamilySearch products.
In 2010-2018 I served in the Edmonton_Alberta_Riverbend_Family_History_Centre..I have a FHC blog at Bill's Family History Center Blog Since 2020 I have been a family history consultant for Edmonton Alberta North Stake. For information on the Latter-day Saints and family history click https://www.comeuntochrist.org/

Saturday, November 11, 2017

And What About Ben Wright in Cousin Jessie's Chart?

It is interesting to me how things that should be random, sometimes form a pattern. I was contacted in the last few days by a cousin who is a descendant of Benjamin Wright, the brother of Alexander "James" Wright, the subject of my previous post. She was able to give me the name of the child shown on the chart, and Benjamin Wright's two wives.

In Chelsea, London, on 26 September 1896, Benjamin Wright married Mary Ann Eliza Webb, who already had a daughter Janet, born in 1893. In 1897, Ben and Mary had a daughter Annie Wright, who would be the child mentioned on Jessie's chart. She may be the Annie Wright who died in Chelsea in 1925.

Here they are in the 1901 England Census
Household               Role     Sex   Age   Birthplace
Benjamin Wright Head M 42 Norfolk
Mary A Wright Wife F 43 Lambeth, London
Janet Wright     Daughter F 8 Chelsea, London
Annie Wright   Daughter F 4 Chelsea, London

Here is Benjamin in the 1911 England Census in the Chelsea Workhouse.
Name: Benjamin Wright
Age in 1911: 48
Birth Place: Norfolk, Norfolk, England
Street address: Chelsea Workhouse, Britten Street, Chelsea
Marital Status: Widowed

But Benjamin's life did not stop at this point. In 1912, he married Madge Jermy, who already had three children.
Madge (Bradley) 5 (b. 23 March 1906 in Chelsea)
John (Bradley) 4 (b. 1907 in Chelsea as Johnnie Henry Charles Bradley)
Henry (Bradley) 2 (b. February 1909 in Chelsea)
GRO lists the mother's maiden name as Jermy for all 3.
I do not know what became of John and Henry, as I did not find their deaths. Perhaps they were given to other families to raise. But Janet lived with Ben and Madge and their children.

In Benjamin's military pension record in 1915, he lists Madge as his wife and  three children:
Madge Bradley b. 23 March 1906
Janet Wright (yes, a different daughter by that name) b. 4 March 1912
Samuel Wright b. 3 April 1914
GRO gives the mother's name as Jermy in all three cases.
Pension record on Ancestry.com

Mom's cousin Jessie, who made the Wright genealogy chart for me in 1963 seems to have missed the second marriage and additional children.

These were tough times for these poor people. Apparently Ben's military pension was inadequate because this particular family had frequent stays in the Chelsea Workhouse.