Snapshot: Leslie and Mary Ann, Jeannie, and Charles Wright

Leslie and Mary Ann, Jeannie and Charles Wright

The Wright family has roots in Old Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The children of James and Elizabeth (Hay) Wright were christened in St. Nicholas Church near Old Rayne and the family births marriages, and deaths are recorded in the Old Parish registers. Wright family graves still exist in the Kirkyard. One of James and Elizabeth's children was Leslie Wright. Here is a small exerpt of how Leslie got his name:

Copied from the back of a postcard showing Leslie Castle c.1900 - brought to
the Wright Family Reunion 2001 by Harry Wright - William Leslie, who owned this
estate, was a friend of Leslie Wright (dad's father) & it was from him the
name "Leslie" originally came. Leslie Wright was a tenant in the
estate at one time. Dad and Mother brought home a piece of slate from the roof.
It was here Dad met an old lady who remembered carrying him in her arms. She
said she wouldn't have recognized him.


On 28 Dec 1848 Leslie Wright married Mary Ann Lowe, who was born in 1825, also in Old Rayne. They had four children born in Scotland; Mary, Jeannie, Eliza, and George. Sometime between 1854 and 1855 they came to the United States and settled in Harrisville Township in the County of Medina in Ohio where Leslie made his living as a farmer. While in Ohio they had six more Children, William, Jessie, May, Charles, Alexander and Leslie. Sometime between Leslie’s birth in Ohio it 1863., and Albert’s birth in 1865 the growing family moved to Elba in Dodge County, Wisconsin. After Albert was born in Wisconsin came the couple’s last child, Abbie, also in Wisconsin. Leslie died 4 Jan 1905 one year after the death of his wife in 1904.

This paragraph, copied from the typewritten Leslie Wright obit, gives us more information about Leslie's life. "Being an early settler, he was well known and highly respected for his sterling Scotch qualities and business integrity. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church in
Scotland and Ohio, but when he came to Wisconsin, he united with the Methodist Episcopal church of which he was an active member until promoted to the church triumphant. A greal [sic] lover of God's word, much of which he had committed to memory, a good singer and a lover of good music, and a splendid conversationalist, his company was eagerly sought by all who knew him and his presence was always an inspiration and benediction and no words seem so fitting
to the close of such a full rounded life as the words of St. Paul: 'I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.'"
~~~
Not much is known about Jeannie or Jane Wright, Leslie and Mary Ann’s second child who was born 1850 in Scotland. Tragically she died in 1866, in Wisconsin, at only 16 years of age.
~~~
Charles Wright, Leslie and Mary Ann’s 8th son had no living descendants. He was born in
1860 in Ohio. In 1889 he married Eula Snow, and they had one son, Allen Wright, who died only thirteen days after he was born. Eula died in 1917 and in 1921 Charles married his second wife, Grace Freitag. Charles lived until 1937. Grace died in 1960.

If you have any other tidbits of information about these
folks, put them in the comments are send them to wrightreunion@sbcglobal.net

Next week: Mary Wright Bleeker