The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
State of Service: NC
Qualifying Service: Colonel / Patriotic Service
Wright, James (b. 25 Sep 1755, Duplin County, NC; d. 17 April 1840) Married on 20 May 1778 to Charity Beck (b. 2 November 1761, Duplin County, NC; d. 5 Dec 1829, Duplin County, NC).
Son of John (from Scotland) and Anne/Annie/Rebecca Wells Wright. James was born in New Hanover County, NC. During the American Revolution, he served as a Lieut. in Capt. Kings Company. He applied for pension (SD9532). He married Charity Beck May 21, 1778. They were the parents of Isaac, William, Bryant, Chelly, Ann and John Beck Wright. he then married a woman named Christiana "Kitty" after his first wife died. They had no known children. His will mentions his second wife, children and grandsons. He died in April of 1840 and was buried in the family cemetery.
Wilmington Chronicle, April 29, 1840, Page 3: DIED.
In Duplin County, on the 17th inst., Col. James Wright, at an advanced age. The deceased was an officer in the Revolution, and a highly respectable and worthy citizen.
The Will of James Wright, the Planter; The Will of James Wright, 1839
From Duplin County Wills, 1730-1860 by William Murphy 24 October 1839 - April Term 1840
Wife Kitty, sum of nineteen hundred and ninety nine dollars; sons Isaac and William in special trust for my grandchildren the sons of John B. deceased viz John Beck, James Munroe, Isaac and William minors all my real estate in Duplin County; grandsons John & James the sons of BRYAN my real Estate in Cumberland & Bladen on the North West river now in possession of my son BRYAN;
Negroes including Fanny and her children now in possession of Alexander McAllester divided into six equal parts or shares with Rose and her children thrown into the Lot for the use of my son BRYAN and Fanny and her children thrown into the Lot for the use of Ann McAllister, one sixth part to my son Isaac, one sixth to son William, one sixth to Isaac and William in special trust for my son BRYAN and his Children, one sixth to Isaac and William in special trust for my dau Chelly Murphy and her children, one sixth to Isaac and William in special trust for my dau Ann McAllister and her children, one sixth to Isaac and William in special trust for my grandchildren the sons of my deceased son John B. And none of the slaves given in trust are to be Sold but if deemed advisable by my sons Isaac and William, they may put the negroes thus divided into the possession of my son BRYAN and sons in law John Murphy and Alexander McAllister as they live at a distance; dau Ann McAllister Three hundred dollars for her sole and separate use; dau Chelly Murphy one thousand dollars, one Bed and furniture; dau Ann McAllister one bed and furniture; should my son in law John Murphy bring any suit against my Executor then Isaac and William are not only to withhold the one thousand dollars but apply the proceeds of all the slaves bequeathed to his wife and children to defray any expense or trouble which may arise therefrom.
Extrs: sons Isaac and William
Signed: James Wright
Codicil: 24 Oct 1839, 11 Nov 1839
Negroe John Mirric should be added to the list of Slaves for the use of the sons of my deceased son John B; sons Isaac and William to use all my real estate in Duplin County both the lands on which I reside and where Agathy Wright resides and all adjoining and detached tracts to supporting grandsons, the sons of my deceased son doctor John B. and to divide the same where they deem it necessary; sons Isaac and William to use all of my real estate in Cumberland County and Bladen County on the North West River and Wallis's Creek to supporting my son BRYAN and his sons John and James and to divide the same where they deem it necessary.
Wit: John S. Hill, Daniel Bowden, Henry Bowden
Signed: James Wright
Service: Served as lieutenant in Captain Michael King's company, NC State Militia. He served in cavalry of NC Militia. Colonel on staff of General Francis Marion; he personally paid for expedition against outlaws at the convention in New Bern in 1771; he was a member from Hertford at the Halifax Convention at which the constitution was formed on 12 November 1776. He was a member of the Committee on Safety for New Hanover County. He received a grant of 640 acres from state of NC for his service in the Militia. He received a pension for his service in the militia under the Act of 1828. (NSSAR Membership # 58039 and 61398)
Send a biographical sketch of your patriot!
Patriot biographies must be the original work of the author, and work submitted must not belong to another person or group, in observance with copyright law. Patriot biographies are to be written in complete sentences, follow the established rules of grammar, syntax and punctuation, be free of typographical errors, and follow a narrative format. The narrative should unfold in a logical manner (e.g. the narrative does not jump from time period to time period) or have repeated digressions, or tell the history of the patriot's line from the patriot ancestor to the author. The thinking here is that this is a patriot biography, not a lineage report or a kinship determination project or other report published in a genealogy journal. The biography should discuss the qualifying service (military, patriotic, civil) of the patriot ancestor, where the service was rendered, whether this was a specific state or Continental service, as well as significant events (as determined by the author) of the patriot's life. This is the entire purpose of a patriot's biography.
Additional guidelines around the Biography writeup can be found here:
Send your submission1, in a Microsoft Word compatible format, to patriotbios@sar.org for inclusion in this space 1Upon submission of a patriot biography, the patriot biography becomes the property of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and may be edited to conform to the patriot biography submission standards.
