Finding Mr Wright

You're always helpful Anne. I never know what I need to know, until I see it, and this time is no exception. You're a genius! From your source "That the Petitioner, being a Solicitor in the High Court of Chancery, has many Causes of great Consequence under his Care: That his Confinement is not only a very great Detriment to him, but also to his Clients, on account of his Business: And praying to be discharged out of Custody." This is doubly useful because it agrees with what I know about Mr Wright - being involved with the Court of Chancery and confirms that he was a solicitor. That it mentions George Aldridge also confirms that you found the right guy's will etc. I now need to explore these election riots. The story connected to the house is getting more and more fascinating. Going back to the auction. I don't think that the house sold by the lottery. I feel that it would have made the news somewhere. When it transferred out of Mr Wright's hands I don't know. I only know that he was supposedly still the owner in October 1742 and by the list of inhabitants James Hewitt was living in the house October 1752, just before Francis Wheler in October 1753. The 1722 election 'rioters' were Thomas Kimberly, Benoni Holding, Thomas Wright, George Aldridge, Charles Buggs, George Newcombe and William Wells. The election was 'won' by Colonel Adolphus Oughton and John Neale, both Whigs, however the result was voided but the two men were returned once more at the by-election. Incidentally in 1761 the corporation candidates, James Hewitt and Andrew Archer, took both seats for the Whigs.

I agree about the auction Helen, I would have thought something would have been in a newspaper. Sadly there aren't many that go back that far. I have been looking for a wedding for Elizabeth to George Aldridge. There is a licence in 1727 but it says George Aldridge and Elizabeth Bright. I am sure this must be her. Trouble is, ancestry have got a lot of records classed as Staffordshire. In order to look at the original it is only on Find my past but I don't subscribe to that. I wondered if anyone on here does? You would think that CC would have those lease and release documents for a change of ownership.

It sounds like it might be her. Because the way the properties changed hands, there's not always a neat file referring to the history of identifiable plots. I'd not have been able to get this far without working out the property next door (Coach and Horses) as well. It would be amazing if each plot was connected to random documents and the other way round. Sometimes the links are poor eg the records of the Coach and Horses at the two locations have been linked and so far, I've not found out why, other than the name.

Someone on a face book site I asked if anyone could look for me has sent me this. To me it looks more like Wright than Bright. She has sent me the place of marriage as well, I think it is Chapel of Newnham Paddox.

Amazing

At this link I see that there was a Thomas Wright buried at Holy Trinity in 1748 but it might have been a co-incidence.

His will was proved on 14th April 1748, Helen, Elizabeth Aldridge was executor. His wife Catherine died in November 1726 and is buried in Holy Trinity.

Looking at The Worthies of Warwickshire, James Hewitt crops up. He was born in 1715 in the building that later became the post office on Smithford Street. He started his working life in an attorney's office under articles to James Birch. At 22 he entered the Middle Temple in London and was called to the bar in 1742. While Hewitt was not a direct contemporary of Thomas Wright, Birch was and they served at the same time in the Thomas White charity. All three men had Coventry connections and may have had shared interests in London.

Thanks Anne. Not an auspicious start to life in the new house. Relations with his son don't sound too good either if his daughter was his executor. I think that we can now say that the location of the house is proven and the story of the owners is as grand as the house itself.

This stands a good chance if being his first wife Catherine, From the Genealogical History of the commoners of GB etc. Thomas Burton esq. Justice of the great sessions of North Wales. Of Longner Shropshire's, his 3rd daughter was Catherine Burton born 1679. She married Thomas Wright esq. of Coventry. Yes, Helen I think you have successfully discovered the bones of the grand house. I get the impression he would have been a very self opinionated man.

How do you keep coming up with these gems Anne!

I surprise myself some days ! Do you find one day you can search and, nothing, and the next day something appears ? I find a good place to search is Google Books, just put in some search words, there are some very good old books on there, many you can read online. I just dropped on that one today searching for Thomas Wright and Katherine. It was on there that I discovered so much about a branch of my tree for the Sacheverals that went back to 1066 and before.

I've kicked myself because I've read a link and missed a key fact, sometimes because it's a fact that I'm not aware I need. So at a point where I wasn't sure that Charles Adams owned the right property, I missed a mention that Francis Wheler was a former resident. 1066 and before, wow!

I can't take much credit for it Helen, as I say there are several useful old books on Google books and once I found the link to Sacheverals there were several trees in books in there, because they owned property and I think it was the only way to prove entitlement. This is slightly relevant to this topic. My 6th time g grandfather was Joseph Yardley whose sister was previously mentioned on here as being married to Lawrence Wright. Joseph's wife was Mary Harwar who would have been my 6th time G Grandmother. Her grandmother was Frances Sacheveral. She is descended from the line of Sacheverals going back into Normandy and included a knight to Henry VIII and also one who was knighted by Richard the 3rd and was beside him at the battle of Bosworth but was killed there. (I will point out that if there was any land or money at that time it did not filter down anywhere near me !)