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Maria Wright c1799-1864
Joseph Wright 1797 - 1857
Maria was born in Newbury on the 4th March 1799 she was baptised on the 27th March 1799 at St Nicolas Church Newbury the daughter of John and Mary Walker (nee Field) who married in Greenham Berkshire on the 18th June 1798.
John and Mary also had the following children:
Eliza Ann born on the 14th September 1804 baptised on the 7th October 1804 at St Nicolas Newbury
Eliza baptised on the 18th July 1813 in Greenham Berkshire.
Ann baptised on the 16th January 1818 at St Nicolas Church Newbury
In 1815 Maria (16) was living with her parents, John (46) and Mary (40) and her sister Eliza (2) at Three Trouts, Northcroft Lane, (on the west side of Northbrook Street) Newbury.
Her father died aged 67 in 1839 he was buried on the 26th November at St Nicolas Newbury
Her mother Mary (60), an Innkeeper and her sister Eliza (25) (recorded as Elizabeth) were still living in Northcroft Lane in 1841. The 1851 census records Mary (74) as a Late Victualler/Almswoman, Eliza (37) a Late Victualler and her granddaughter Eliza Lewis (9) (daughter of Ann and her husband Henry) living in Raymonds Almshouses Newbury (surname recorded as Walter on ancestry).
Mary died aged 78 in 1853 she was buried on the 22nd November at St Nicolas Newbury
Maria married Joseph Wright at St Giles Reading Berkshire in 1829. (No children found for this couple).
(Joseph was a Hairdresser he was born on the 6th March 1797 in Newbury the son of John and Sarah Wright (nee Brunsdon) who were married on the 13th November 1780 at St Nicolas Church Newbury. In 1815 Joseph was living in The Marsh on the east side of Northbrook Street Newbury with a Henry Haskins and his family, His parents were living in Northcroft Lane (near neighbours of John and Mary Walker))
In 1841 Maria Wright (35), Joseph Wright (35), a Hairdresser, Richard Wright (15) a Male Servant and Maria Cumner (10) were recorded living in Church Court, Newbury (Richard Wright was Joseph’s nephew, the son of his brother Richard and his wife Elizabeth. Maria Cumner was Joseph’s niece, the daughter of his sister Hannah who married Sidney Cumner in 1814, Hannah died in 1836).
The 1851 census again records Maria (52) living in Church Court Newbury with Joseph (58) and Maria Cumner (20), who was recorded as a Shop Woman.
Maria’s husband took his own life on the 25th December 1857 he was buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 30th December.
The following newspaper report appeared in the Berkshire Chronicle dated 2nd January 1858
Suicide: - An inquest was held on Saturday last, before J Bunny Esq., borough coroner, on view of the body of Mr Joseph Wright, hair dresser, Market-place, who hung himself to the bedstead on the night previous. The particulars will be found in the following evidence:
Elizabeth Hatt said the deceased was her brother. He underwent an operation of the bladder about 30 years ago. He quite recovered from that, and enjoyed good health until last July. In consequence of a long walk and going into a damp room he had a recurrence of the disease. He had medical advice and went to St George’s Hospital about six weeks ago, but he became worse, and was sent home as incurable. Since his return from the hospital he had been much weaker, and frequently not sensible from severe pain. Yesterday he was in great pain and insensible. At half-past nine o’clock last evening, by the desire of the deceased, his wife and witness left him. Witness returned to his room in about 20 minutes. On entering the room she found the deceased suspended by a silk handkerchief round the neck to the curtain rod of the bedstead at the foot of the bed. She thought he was standing there and asked him how he came to walk round there; but he made no answer, and she found that he was hung. She immediately ran downstairs, got a knife, and cut him down. Mr Bunny attended, and also Mr Rand, who administered galvanism. The deceased was 61 years of age. – Mr Joseph Rand, optician, Market-place, deposed that last evening, about ten o’clock, he received an urgent message that Mrs Wright wished to see him. On going in he was informed that Mr Wright had hung himself. He immediately placed a cloth dipped in hot water over his chest, and went for his galvanic apparatus. He kept up the influence of galvanism for more than half an hour without any result beyond producing contortions of the muscles of the face. The jury returned a verdict that “Deceased hung himself, being at the time in an unsound state of mind.” Mr Rand was much commended for the manner in which he acted.
The following article appeared in the Reading Mercury dated 20th March 1858
CHEAP STREET NEWBURY BERKS
SALE OF A HAIRDRESSER’S AND TOY SELLER’S
STOCK IN TRADE
MR C W DOE is instructed to Sell by Auction, on the premises, on Monday 22nd March 1858, at Elvene o’clock, without reserve, the whole of the USEFUL HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, STOCK IN TRADE, STUFFED BIRDS, SHOP and HOUSE FIXTURES and EFFECTS, late the property of Mr Joseph Wright, deceased.
The Household Furniture consists of mahogany table, chairs, sofa, Turkey and other carpet, bedsteads with furnitures, feather beds and bedding chests of drawers, tables a 14-gallon copper, and a useful assortment of goods..
The Stock-in-Trade comprises combs and brushes, perfumery, razors and other cutlery, cricket bats and balls, dolls of all kinds, fishing tackle, stationery, and a large assortment of toys of all descriptions, and about thirty cases of stuffed birds.
For the convenience of purchases, the sale of stock-in trade will take place in the evening, commencing punctually at five o’clock.
Catalogues at the Place of Sale, and of the Auctioneer, Newbury
In the 1861 census Maria (63) was recorded as an Almswoman/Late Toy Dealer living alone at 3 King John’s Almshouses Newbury, she was also recorded as being deaf.
She died aged 68 in 1864 and was buried in a private grave in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 14th December.
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