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The purpose of this site is to foster knowledge,
promote contact, & share information and family
history between the descendants and connections of:
First Fleet Convict & Second Fleet Convict
Nation Founders
This site is best viewed with screen resolution 1280X1024 pixels
Setting the Time Frame 1788 What was happening back then? |
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Portsmouth Point 1811 by Thomas Rowlandson Although painted more than 20 years after Joseph Wright's departure from Portsmouth this work perhaps reflects the times pretty well... Click on the Rowlandsons name above to see more about him and his work. Quite an over the top bloke. Beware! some of his stuff was amusingly bawdy even by todays standards if you hit the lewder stuff.
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"The American War of Independence had formally ended with the signing of The Treaty of Paris just a few short years earlier in 1783. England had lost the dumping ground of the American colonies for her dispossesed poor and abandoned. England was surrounded by numerous hostile European nations many of whom had assisted the American colonists. The hungry rural poor had flooded into London and larger towns. Petty crime was rife, the gaols were overflowing, the prison hulks were full. Ordinary people were uneducated & impoverished. The largely uncaring rich had become so mainly by patronage, privilege and resultant access to education.
Slavery was legal, its eventual abolition lay well into the future. George Washington had not quite yet been sworn in as the first American President. Britain was licking its war wounds, suffering the loss of the American colonies and almost bankrupt. Public hangings were commonplace & plentiful. The barbaric Hanging, Drawing & Quartering although rarer, was still being practised. The last official burning at the stake of a woman, Catherine Murphy, was still yet to take place. The French Revolution was shortly to begin. The industrial revolution was yet to commence. The English answer to the discontent that frightened European rulers was to stiffen the "Property Laws" which gave rise to even fuller gaols. Napoleon's ascent to power was still a distant 20 years away. In frenzied Paris, the storming of the Bastille lay only 18 months away. Times everywhere were turbulent. History making was in fast forward.
Times were tough & violent! That's how Joseph Wright & Ellenor Gott, micro players in history, came to be our founding couple in Australia.
They surely didn't choose to come here, or perhaps even to really choose each other. But to them we owe a vote of gratitude and a moment of thought occasionally. For they, with others of similar hue, were to found a Nation which we love and are all part, and are proud to belong. We may wonder whether they ever had a thought about what may become a Nation. They had no choice & no prospect of return to their home. We have bountiful choice, freedom & opportunity that have been given to us by them and built on by each succeeding generation
If you're descended or related, however obscurely to our founding couple, or even just a visitor taking a browse of our descendants website, reflect a moment perhaps, on just how tough the times were, the struggles we know they had, and raise a pleasant glass at your next Aussie BBQ to our founding settlers. Amongst whom were our own Joseph Wright & Ellen Gott "
© Philip Wright 2009
Marion Taylor's "Wright First Fleet Descendants" CD-Rom Now available !
Contact Marion at email address below to get your copy.
Including a free, No Ads -No Promos copy of Legacy to maintain and add to your family data
Why not make an information contribution or let's know about your branch of the family? Just email us !
Dateline 12th November 2008
From Philip Wright
The 3rd Tri-ennial PICNIC & BBQ DAY was held on Sunday 26th October 2008 At Maraylya Hall (near Pitt Town NSW). About 80 people attended and we all had a convivial day meeting new family members and connections as well as numerous old friends and family. Family descendants travelled from Queensland , Victoria , and a wide range of NSW locations. We thank them all for the effort made. Lots of information was collected and more will flow over coming weeks.
All seven children of Ellen & Joseph were represented by their current day descendants in varying numbers. A visit to the local cemetery and the Joseph Wright land grant was taken in a car convoy. A relaxing sunny day spent together with a good deal of good laughter and happy conversation. As announced, both Marion Taylor and myself feel that we have achieved the main objectives of our several years of input and now seek to retreat from the increasing demands of adding to and maintaining the data base of descendants as frequently as in past years. It is also time to pass the task on to others who will perhaps offer a fresh impetus. The key objectives of informing and disseminating a family history and genealogical data base to the descendants of Joseph Wright & Ellen Gott can never quite be finished and is of course dynamic over time. More information and snippets of family history and heritage matters will surely come forward, however from January 2009 we will only update the database of descendants at about six monthly intervals. So, any family information, old photos or other data contributions you wish added... Please let me know of them by end of November 08.
The other key purpose of our efforts and this website has been to make the family history available to a very broad range of descendants in an effort to ensure that the information which for so long existed only in a piecemeal manner, becomes widely enough spread that it will not be lost or destroyed.
I will maintain this website for as long as reasonably possible whilst the current level of enquiry and site visits continue, but please note that Marion & I are seeking to take much more of a back seat in relation to family history matters. Marion as our family genealogist will continue to attend to specific family enquiries where there is a special need, new information or interest. I will continue to attend to the web site maintenance and assist with enquiries for relationship charts, co-ordination and other data etc, while able. Of course we still hope that some keen younger generation members may take over the ongoing task. We stand ready to assist any suitably qualified or keen person(s) who step up to the interesting task.
Marion and I both wish to thank the so many descendants and connections who have assisted us with contributions of family records, photos and other general information, which have been incorporated within this the offering of this site . Numerous good warm stories of discovered history and family heritage have come from here. All of them without exception, are happy stories with responses ranging from exited whoops of joy and gobsmacked discovery, to quite amazing stories of current discovered connections. Many new bridges have been made. That has been our happy reward.
We would particularly like to record our warm thanks to Stephen Wright, now of the Hawkesbury Regional Museum who resides nowadays at Windsor and who, like many is of course also a descendant of Joseph & Ellen. Stephen and I only met in the last two years, he is a wonderful fellow. ( Stephen, please note I am trying to quietly tip you into the the job of replacing me as webmaster) Stephen has been such a comforting support to me, particular in helping organise this latest reunion. His mother Margaret, was also a quiet, calm, efficient wonderful helper to us all throughout the day. We thank them both for their efforts. Our thanks also to others who helped on the day, amongst whom were Clem & Di Allen and other folk who pitched in to quickly restore the hall to its neat rural status.
This web site will be maintained while sufficient interest or enquiry is shown. More than 4000 substantial, detailed browsings of the site take place annually and more than 500 detailed email correspondences take place with descendants seeking information or genealogical connection. This activity is increasing steadily. Many other contacts contribute details of family and their own descendants, or offer valuable assistance by correction to small details or adding another important missing links to the past histories of this extended family group. We hope this continues, but would be interested in hearing from any member willing to assist by hosting and maintaining this website. (Yes! - we are getting older and need a succession plan in place) .
OR
Perhaps you happen to have any old black and white photographs of your grandparents, Great Grandparents or family members like the one shown here below of Mary Wright (nee Thomas) at her 75th birthday at Flynns Creek, Victoria in 1903.
If you do, GREAT ! We would love to see an emailed copy of them. You may see our growing collection by CLICKING HERE. Other photos are also being added as recieved, to individual records in the descendants listings. Some postage stamp sample images appear hereunder. Just click on any of the small images to visit the OLD PHOTOS GALLERY
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Mary Wright's (nee Thomas) 75th birthday 1903. taken at Flynns Creek with many of her family.
Found !, the captioned names at last ! Many thanks to (Peter) Bruce Wright who found his copy of the original captions listing.
The names listed below are colloquial and are verbatim, from a sheet accompanying the original 1903 photograph. In many cases the names are those by which the person was known in 1903. Many of the women are named by their married names. Some of the men are named by shortened or nick names. We do have a list of the true identites (including maiden names, - many of them were nee Wright), of the married women & of all those in the photo except the visitor. Back Row: Polly Wright (Jnr.), Polly Wright (Snr.), Tom Anderson, Clara Anderson, Ollie Stuckey, Nellie Power, Walter Power (Snr.), Bill Pearce, Walter Powell, Tom Smith, Ned (?) Nissen (with baby Ada), Sarah Smith |
Flynns Creek Hotel established by Thomas Wright - June 1875
Charles Wright - Traralgon Saddler & Harnessmaker (see Photo collection CLICK HERE for full image and other Photos )
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Original signature of Ellen Gott |
AND | John Townson (Lieutenant, NSW Corps) later Captain and Lt. Governor Norfolk Island. |
In this section is current news on family members doings, arrivals, departures etc. Here's where Grandparents & Parents can brag a bit or we just tell you what's happening at our end !
The latest January 2009 listing of all known descendants is here. It contains lots of Descendants information. An increasing number of them with old photos attached.
More than 9500 individual descendants & family members and 3072 family groups covering 10 generations!
To view the descendant listings or search for your family name, follow lineage, or see relationships, please CLICK HERE. Certain details such as dates of birth etc have been supressed for all living people. Any problems? Just email us and we will try our best to help!
The great majority of the individuals in the data base have predominantly lived their lives in the Eastern States of Australia, but the family, like so many others nowadays are more mobile than past generations. Increasingly, many live and work overseas for some period.
If you would like a FREE copy of the Legacy Genealogy Progam that we use (principally because it'so easy to use).
Please CLICK HERE to be taken to Legacy's website, where you can download a good, free no nonsense program - or pay a modest sum for the highly recommended Legacy Deluxe Ver 6.0+ genealogy program. ( No ! Philip Wright takes no kickbacks, commissions, free grog or dinners. He just likes Legacy ! ) OR you can send to Marion Taylor for the full CD ROM ready to use and which has the free version of legacy 6.0 already on it, and to which you may add all your other more recent family members by contacting Marion Taylor direct CLICK HERE
You may also seek to obtain the family data file as a GEDCOM file by contacting Marion Taylor. This can then be imported into any good other genealogy program of your choice.
Joseph Wright Descendants CD-ROM
From our family genealosist Marion Taylor
A CD ROM of the database, including the free, easy to use, Version 6 of the Legacy Family Tree program and other matters is now available from Marion Taylor at a cost of $25 inclusive of postage. This is well below Marion's cost and merely defrays some minor expenses. The CD ROM although containing broadly the same base data as the web site is different, and much more comprehensive than the HTML searchable database on the web site. You can Search, Add records, Print charts, Family Groups and even start new family databases for other family members.
Should you wish to have a CD ROM just send Marion Taylor an email by CLICKING HERE.
We also have added a web log to our family site where you can post all of your comments, add snippets, see what others have said, add your ideas, or ask questions. Feel free but remember we're a polite family group. To visit this web log please CLICK HERE
Who's Who? Contact us with your question !
Want to know what relationship you have to anyone else on the database. EMAIL US for a cost free printout of your relationship to Joseph Wright or your 5th cousin, or whoever ! - Who was who?, Who is who? How are you related?, and so on. Unravel the puzzle. Of course, we'd like to add any of your family detail too. We will be updating the WRIGHT DESCENDANTS database at about quarterly intervals. Meanwhile we can try our best to email you with answers to many family connection questions.
Something else about Pitt Town & Windsor
Several historical markers are erected in the Pitt Town /Windsor area commemorating the first 22 Hawkesbury settlers in 1794. One is located (some time ago 1994) in the Governor Phillip Park at Windsor adjacent to the Bridge to Bridge boat club house. More recent "heritage" type signs have also been erected in Pitt Town and along the Pitt Town /Windsor Road at each access to the Pitt Town Bottoms road.
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Governor Phillip Park, Windsor,Commemorative Plaque |
Pitt Town Bottoms Commemorative Heritage Sign |
Joseph Wright is listed No 12 on all of these (click on image/s to enlarge)
Robyn Winley, of Windsor advises there is also a marked commemorative tree she caused to be planted some time ago in the recreation reserve on the cemetery road at Pitt Town.
Joseph Wright's original land grant at Pitt Town Bottoms (Photo taken 2004)
(Click on images to enlarge)
Driving there with GPS ? Go to 33 deg 35'.08S. 150 deg 50'.26E.
Want to be a part of us? or Add Your Details?
If you would like to be a part of us, please EMAIL US with your details and family members.
Links to First Fleet and Other Interest Sites
The Traralgon and District Historical Society - The Wright Family - John Power
Lesley Uebel's Claim a Convict web site
This family history site is published & originally placed in April 2001 by Philip Wright who now lives in the Melbourne area, an earlier small site was established in 1991 . The data incorporates the contributions of many family members. It is intended that we will update the site and the descendants listing regularly by addition of newsletters as needed. We will be delighted to incorporate comments and contributions from fellow descendants or others interested in the family of Joseph Wright and Ellen Gott or Australian Pioneer and convict history generally. The information incorporated on this site has been largely collected and compiled, and shaken into cogent form by Marion Taylor, our dedicated family researcher, who has put in hundred of hours, (perhaps thousands) on the project. Marion acknowledges and offers sincere thanks to the extensive number of family and fellow descendants who have provided support and contributions. Our whole efforts with this site have focused on capturing known family information and making it as widely and freely available to all, as it is really just part of the bigger Australian History. We take money from nobody and act only in the interest of the descendants and future family members.
Marion Taylor & Philip Wright very gratefully acknowledge the efforts of numerous other family members who kept the paper based records going by diverse means, through the years preceding the broad use of computers during which the family members increased rapidly both in number, diversity and geographic mobility.
We acknowledge particularly the founding efforts of John Power (Author of "200 years on the Wright Side") and Dawn Hustler both of Traralgon Victoria, who some years ago charged Marion Taylor & Philip Wright with the task of keeping the family reunions & records going and fostering the growth of interest that had been displayed by many descendant family & connections of Joseph Wright & Ellen Gott. Marion & Philip particularly thank Shirley McLennan of Melbourne for her most significant input of base information. Numerous other descendants throughout Australia and overseas have contributed their own family and sub-group information, for the greater good of the project and the posterity of future generations who in their turn will surely ask the questions about our family beginnings in our wonderful country.
The background page motif as many may know, is the convict transport vessel "Scarborough" which sailed in both the first and second fleet and in which Joseph Wright arrived in Sydney Cove 1788.
For information concerning this web site or Wright Descendants data files, Q & A, Free of charge Charts & Relationship details etc;
email Philip Wright at :-
NOSPAM philipw@pacific.net.au (remove word NOSPAM from the front of the email address before you send)
For specifics of the genealogy information, Copies of files or CD-ROM Contact Marion Taylor direct at:-
NOSPAM martay@optusnet.com.au (remove word NOSPAM from the email before you send)
These two addresses have the word NOSPAM added to try and circumvent junk mail which we all just hate!
Just make sure you delete the word NOSPAM in the email address box, before you click on send !!!
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