Sir Henry Wright, 1st Baronet

Sir Henry Wright, 1st Baronet (c. 1637–1664) was a member of parliament for Harwich in the parliaments of 1660 and 1661.

Biography

Henry Wright was the only surviving son and heir of Laurence Wright (c. 1590–1657) M.D., of London, and of Dagenham, and Mary, daughter of John Duke M.D., of Toulton Hall, in Ramsey and of Colchester, Essex, was born about 1637.^[1]

Wright was added to the trade committee of the Council of State on 5 February 1656,^[2] He succeeded to his father's estate on his father's death on 3 October 1657, for whose services as physician to the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, presumably, Henry was created a baronet by the Lord Protector on 10 April 1658, a dignity which, was disallowed after the Restoration in May 1660. ^[1]

However a few weeks later Wright was, notwithstanding his recent recognition of the late government, again created a baronet on 11 June 1660 by King Charles II.It is not easy to conjecture what service he had rendered to be thus highly favoured.^[1]

He was Member of Parliament for Harwich in the Convention Parliament of 1660 and in 1661 he was re-elected MP for Harwich in the Cavalier Parliament and sat until his death. He died on 5 February 1664, aged 27, and was buried at South Weald, Essex. His son Sir Henry Wright, 2nd Baronet succeed to his father's estates and title.^[1]

Family

He married, on 23 March 1658, at St Giles-in-the-Fields, Anne, daughter of John, Lord Crew and Lady Jemima, daughter and coheir of Edward Waldegeave. His widow died on 27 September 1708, aged 71, and was also buried at South Weald.^[1] They had one son:

• Henry (1662–1681), of Dagenham. He was baptised on 1 July 1662 at St Giles-in-the-Fields. He succeed to the Baronetcy on 5 February 1664. He died unmarried in 1681 aged 19 (the Baronetcy became extinct), and he was buried at South Weald.^[1]

Notes

1. Cokayne 1903, pp. 5, 35.
2. Porter 1900, p. 118.

References

•  Porter, Bertha (1900), "Wright, Laurence", in Lee, Sidney, Dictionary of National Biography, 63, London: Smith, Elder & Co, p. 118

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from a work in the public domain: Cokayne, George Edward, ed. (1903), Complete Baronetage 1649–1664, 3, Exeter: William Pollard and Co, p. 5, 35

Further reading

• Burke, John; Burke, John Bernard, "Wright of Dagenham", A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies
• Helms, M.W.; Hampson, Gillian; Jaggar, Geoffrey (1983), "Wright, Henry (c.1637-64), of Dagnams, Havering, Essex.", in Henning, B.D., The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, Boydell and Brewer
• Powell, W.R., ed. (1978), "Romford: Manors and other estates", A History of the County of Essex, 7, British History Online, pp. 64–72, retrieved 25 March 2011