UCL

Sir James Wright bart.

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 1803

Biography

Resident Minister at the Republic of Venice, and husband of Catherine Stapleton (1732-1802), through whom he came to own an interest in the Fountain estate on St Kitts. At Ray House, Sir James Wright established an artificial slate manufactory which operated c. 1775-1811.

  1. Will of Sir James Wright of [Ray House Woodford but now residing at] Bath proved 17/03/1804. In the will he requested his son George take the name Huband (which he did not do) after Sir James Wright's mother's maiden name. He mentioned his personal estate in St Kitts but not real estate or enslaved people.

Sources

J.R.V. Johnston, 'The Stapleton Sugar Plantations in the Leeward Islands', https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m2890&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF [accessed 21/05/2018]; Daniel Lysons, The Environs of London Vol.I Part II (1811) p. 743. Some sources show his death-date as 1804.

  1. PROB 11/1406/209.

Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Catherine Stapleton
Children
George

Associated Estates (1)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
- 1803 [EY] → Joint owner
Stapletons [ St Kitts | St Peter Basseterre ]

'His [Sir Thomas Stapleton 5th bart.'s] younger sister, Catherine (1732-1802), married James Wright (d. 1803) in 1754; Wright was later Resident Minister to the Republic of Venice, and was created baronet in 1772. Wright followed Sir Thomas's example and offered to sell his interest in the Fountain plantation to the Misses Stapleton for £4,800. However, negotiations over this transaction broke down, though they did purchase a fragmentary share of the personal estate (disputed between Wright and Sir Thomas) for £681. A one-eighth interest in the Fountain plantation remained in the Wright family until 1840, when it was sold to the major proprietor, Lord Combermere, for £3,500.'

Legacies Summary

Commercial (1)

General Investment
 
 
Details
notes →
Sir James Wright founded an artificial slate business on his estate in Woodford: ir James Wright's artificial slate manufactory. 'Near Woodford-bridge is the patent manufactory of artificial...

Physical (1)

Country house
Ray Lodge [Built] 
Details
description →
'Sir James [Wright] also acquired several adjacent estates [at Woodford], including Monkham house and farm. (fn. 147). In 1793 he started to build Ray Lodge, near Ray House, for his son George,...

Addresses (1)

Ray House, Woodford, Essex, South-east England, England
Details