This is a common name in New England, and very difficult to trace. The family is a prominent one in New York also, and has furnished many notable men. In 1844 Silas Wright was governor of the state, and in the professions there have been many men of prominence bearing the name.
(I) The Amsterdam family descended from Matthew Wright, of Connecticut, who was born about 1700-07. He was probably of Chatham. Whether he was a relative of Deacon Thomas Wright, of Springfield, Massachusetts, does not appear. Matthew was of Welsh descent. He married Esther Lewis, also of Connecticut. They removed to New York, settling in Otsego county, near Cooperstown, where they are buried. He is said to have attained the great age of one hundred and three, dying in 1810. She died in 1820, at the age of ninety. There were over six soldiers served in the revolution from Connecticut by the name of Wright, but it is not clear that any of the eight sons of Matthew were among them, although there are some bearing the same Christian name. His children were: Daniel; John, see forward; Earl; Matthew (2); Thomas; Ebenezer; Sallie; Esther; Hepseber; Louis and two others.
(II) John, son of Matthew and Esther (Lewis) Wright, was probably born in Otsego county, New York. He lived to the age of sixty. He was married and left a family. His children were: John Y., see forward; Justus, Samuel, Fanny, Ebenezer, Jane, and two who died in infancy.
(III) John Y., son of John Wright, was born near Cooperstown, Otsego county, New York, and died in Albany county at about the age of seventy-five. He married a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of Albany county, who bore him children:
- Justus, died in Albany, New York, shortly after his marriage.
- Henry, born in Westerlow, Schenectady [i.e., Albany] county, where he married Jane Liddle, of Schenectady county; they settled in Duanesburg, where they died, leaving children: Thomas, John, Robert, Henry and Edward.
- Charles, see forward.
- George, died in Rochester, New York.
- Sylvester, veteran of civil war; now residing in Duanesburg.
- Ann.
- Eliza.
- Miranda.
(IV) Charles, son of John Y. Wright, was born in Westerlo, Schenectady [i.e., Albany] county, New York, July 26, 1820, died in Amsterdam, July 26, 1893. When a young man he removed to Florida, Montgomery county, where he engaged in agriculture, his lifelong occupation. He married Olive C. Fancher, born August 19, 1826, died February 3, 1891. She was born on the Fancher homestead, settled by one of the early families of the town of Florida. She was the daughter of Schuyler and Eunice Fancher, whose forbears were pioneers of Montgomery county. The children of Charles and Olive (Fancher) Wright were:
- Schuyler F., born January 11, 1842, died July 23, 1907; married (first) Laura Parker, who bore him a son, George F., now of Amsterdam; (second) Mrs. Mary (Brumley) Van Horne, who survived him and resides in Amsterdam.
- George, see forward.
- Richard, August 25, 1847; a farmer and resides on the old Fancher homestead, where his mother was born; married (first) Annie Parks, of Florida, who bore him a daughter, Caroline, now wife of Charles McKinney; (second) Rachel Padgett; they have no issue.
- Caroline, October 25, 1853; married Jesse May, of English birth; they have no issue.
- Cora Belle, 1862; married Cornelius V. Williams; children: Olive, Charles W. (2), Ada and Clifton Williams, and two who died in infancy. Their daughter Olive is married and resides in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is worthy of note that Charles Wright and his wife Olive had a married life of over fifty years, the first death in the family being that of Mrs. Wright.
(V) George, son of Charles and Olive (Fancher) Wright, was born on the old Fancher homestead, December 31, 1843. He was educated in the public schools of the town, and made the best possible use of his opportunities to obtain an education. He worked on the farm until he was twenty-two and then left home and learned the trade of carpenter. He was a natural mechanic and became an expert workman. In 1868 he settled in Amsterdam, and in a few years began contracting. He has been very successful and is recognized as one of the leading contractors and builders of the city. He has erected some of the largest business buildings in the city, notably the Atlas Knitting Mills, the Pioneer Broom Factory, the Central Hotel, the Pythian Temple, and others of equal prominence, as well as many fine private residences. In politics Mr. Wright is a Democrat, and before the city was incorporated was assessor of the village for seven years. He is connected with the Presbyterian church, as is his wife. He holds fraternal relations with Woodbine Lodge, No. 250, Knights of Pythias. He married, December, 1869, in Amsterdam, Julia O. Hart, born 1849, died September 3, 1870. He married (second) in Canajoharie, New York, March 25, 1875, Mrs. Mary (Ellsworth) Collins, born February 21, 1845, near Sharon, New York. She is the daughter of John and Jedida (Clum) Ellsworth, who died at Fort. Plain, New York. John Ellsworth was a cousin of Colonel E. E. Ellsworth, who was one of the first victims of the civil war, shot in Alexandria by the owner of the house from which Colonel Ellsworth had just torn down a Confederate flag. The grandfather of John Ellsworth and of Colonel Ellsworth was George Ellsworth, of English descent. He was a resident of Half Moon, Saratoga county, before the revolution; when Burgoyne invaded the territory he joined the continental army, though only fifteen. He was at the battle of Bemis Heights and at the surrender of Burgoyne. He married Sarah Reynolds, who bore him fourteen children, one of whom was John, father of Mrs. George Wright; another, Ephraim D., father of Colonel Ellsworth, was a captain in the ordnance department during the civil war. He had another son killed in the war. Colonel Ellsworth was born in Malta, Saratoga county, New York, April 11, 1837. He went west and studied law with President Abraham Lincoln, who was ever afterward his warm friend and sincerely mourned his tragic death. He was colonel of the First New York Zouaves, who instantly avenged his death. By her former marriage, Mrs. George Wright has a daughter, Emma J. (Collins) Watson, born June 8, 1870, wife of A. R. Watson, a flour and feed merchant of Amsterdam. They have Grace and George W. Watson. Mr. and Mrs. George Wright have a daughter,
- Grace Cora, born May 29, 1876; she married Clarence D. Dean, a commission merchant of Amsterdam, and has a son, Charles D. Dean, born May 27, 1895. Clarence D. Dean is a son of Charles D. and Melissa (DeGraff) Dean.