First Generation

1. ??? WRIGHT^1,2 was born (date unknown).

Gideon Wright appears in print with his parents as John Wright & Ruth Ludlum of Oyster Bay NY. [Poindexter Family History] He is said to have served in the French & Indian War with his brother Hezekiah. I can find proof of neither.

Gideon may have served briefly, before removing to North Carolina. Hezekiah is not mentioned in these records. I believe Hezekiah was some younger, perhaps not old enough to have served in the French & Indian Wars. I have looked for another brother - perhaps a Zadock Wright, given that the name Zadock Wright was later used in the line of descent in several generations of my family.
VIRGINIA'S COLONIAL SOLDIERS, by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, 1988; p.53
List of horses belonging to His Majesty and in the hands of the following person on the South Branch, 21 Oct 1755. Zeddick Wright 1 horse, given to Capt Ashby. [This Zadock Wright is the same as one who later lived in the disputed part of Western PA and VA - if he is any relation to Gideon, that could be the source of the Zadock Wright name used by descendants.] Gideon Wright and Martin Dunn, in Company 4, gone to Carolina

Another error found in the Poindexter book is in reference to Hezekiah and states that he was "of Wythe, VA". Wythe Co VA was not even formed until 1790 and Hezekiah had died before 1782. There is much later, after this Hezekiah had been dead at least ten years, a reference to Hezekiah Wright of Wythe Co VA when he sold a tract of land in Stokes Co [formerly Surry Co] NC. This Hezekiah was the son of Gideon and the sale was apparently the result of a lawsuit that had been going on for some years as found in Surry Co Court abstracts and possibly may even have been pending since Gideon's death.
Stokes Co Deeds, Vol 1, p.140: 2 Aug 1792 Hezekiah Wright of Wythe Co VA to Justice Reynolds. £200 for 200 acres on East side of Yadkin R. Wit: John Williams, Gideon Reynolds.

Given naming patterns and locations, it is highly likely Gideon and Hezekiah had a sister, Miriam. Again, there is no paper proof.

The following analysis is based on two articles disputing and dealing with the Ludlam [and Wright] lineage: "The Early Ludlam & Related Families of Oyster Bay, New York" by Clarence Almon Torry, Ph.B. that appeared in THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST, Vol 14, No. 1, July 1937 and "Three Elizabeth Ludlams of Oyster Bay" by Harry Macy Jr, FASC, FGBS that appeared in the NEW YORK GENEALOGY & BIOGRAPHY RECORD, Vol. 131, No.2, Apr 2000.
John Wright, proposed father of Gideon & Hezekiah, was the son of Gideon Wright, who married Margaret Urquhart, 5 Jul 1702. He is said to have married a Ruth Ludlam. The Gideon who married Margaret Urquhart also had a brother John Wright - they were sons of Gideon Wright who married Elizabeth Townsend. This earlier Gideon left a will dated 14 May 1685; within a year or so the widow Elizabeth likely married Joseph Ludlam. It is this second marriage that has confused the family line. This would have made the 2nd Gideon & his brother John, half-brothers to the slightly younger Ludlam children Joseph & Charles Ludlam. There was a Ludlam sister, possibly the child of an earlier marriage named Clemence who married Robert Feeke. In 1722, Joseph & Charles Ludlam made out a deed to their "brother" John Wright which has been interpreted by many as meaning Joseph & Charles must have had another sister married to a Wright. However, if their mother was also John Wright's mother then he WAS their brother - a half brother. This mysterious and never named sister was somehow believed to have married the younger John Wright, son of Gideon & Margaret Urquhart, but this does not work out date-wise. But this is apparently how the name "Ruth Ludlam" became attached to John Wright - there is no evidence this lady existed.
The will of Gideon who married Margaret Urquhart appointed as overseers of his will dated 15 May 1722 his "bretheren" John Wright, Charles Ludlam, & Robert Feke. Again if his widowed mother had remarried to Ludlam, then John Wright was his brother, Charles Ludlam was his half brother, and Robert Feke was married to his half sister. So if the Wrights and Ludlams were half-siblings, there is no need to "create" a sister who was married to a Wright - the relationship already exists.
The older John Wright, brother of Gideon who married Margaret Urquhart married Abigail Barker on 27 Jan 1707/8. He was a weaver. There are deeds of his children that refer to the land that was secured from Joseph & Charles Ludlam in 1722, proving he is indeed the same. The earliest of the two articles came to the conclusion that this older John was the one who had married the phantom Ludlam sister, after the death of Abigail. This family removed to Newport, RI. He may have had a second wife named Sarah. Known children are Abigail, Gideon & John. This Gideon born 23 Dec 1715, is too old to have been the Col. Gideon Wright of the Revolution and is believed to have never married.
The younger John Wright, son of Gideon & Margaret Urguhart, married Ruth Bailey, not Ruth Ludlam, on 26 Dec 1729 in First Church, Huntington, Long Island NY. He wasn't born until about 1703 or 1704 so he is certainly different from the John Wright that married Abigail Barker in 1707/8. ;Ruth Bailey was probably his first and only wife. A more current list of their children is Hannah, Amelia, John, Augustine, William, Zebulon, and Ruth born between 1731 and 1751.

So it would appear we have no John Wright available to be the father of Gideon and Hezekiah. I have indeed found no Wright family in Oyster Bay that had sons named Gideon and Hezekiah - Hezekiah apparently a given name not used in the family.

However, Y-DNA tests in the past few years, indicate that a descendant of Hezekiah matches a group of Wrights known as the "New York Flushing Wrights". I have found no relationship but given that Y-DNA persists for many generations, there could be a relationship several generations earlier in England. This would prove conclusively that Gideon, Hezekiah, and their likely sister Miriam, were not kin to the Oyster Bay Wrights.

After the Wright/Flynn marriage in my family line, certain names show up - there was a Zadock Wright Flynn, several Zadock Wright Poindexters, even a Kire Poindexter [the name presumably derived from Hezekiah's nickname Giery/Kiry]. Gideon is not used, even though he was a direct ancestor. Gideon was a Tory; the Flynns & Poindexters were Patriots. The evidence of a Zadock Wright in Pennsylvania who fought in the French & Indian War [served in ranging parties in 1755 and 1764] in Virginia is a curious coincidence.
Zadock Wright was also in Dunmore's War of 1774. He was on Major John Connolly & Capt George Astor's payroll as: Zadock Wright, Lt. ;He is listed in the Bounty Land Applications in Yohogania Co. [then VA, but later PA] in 1780.
The area of Yohogania had been disputed between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Before 1781, VA claimed the area as West Augusta in 1775, and then as Monongalia, Ohio & Yohogania Counties in 1776. It was formed as Washington County from Westmoreland County in 1781 and included all of SW Pennsylavania. In 1788 Allegheny Co was formed from Westmoreland & Washington and this is where additional records of Zadock Wright were found after that year.
Ohio County Record, Entry Book, Yohogania County 1779-1785
Began Nov 17 1779. Containing Entrys In Right of Settlement
22 Feb 1780
#192 Zadock Wright produced a Certif from the Comr for adjusting Claims & Settling Titles to Land in the Counties of Yohogania, Monongalia & Ohio of four hundred acres Land in this County on the Mouth of Monture's Run to include his Settm. made in the year 1772. Which Entry I have certd.
24 Feb 1780
#229 Zadoc Right produced a Certifiacte from the Comr for adjusting Claimes of setling Titles to lands in the Counties Yohogania, Mona. and Ohio for four hudred Acres Land in this county on Peters Creek to include his setlmt made in the year 1772. Which Entry cerf.
The VA Court Records, Minutes of Court at Ft. Dunmore are in print and reflect that as early as September of 1777, a Joshua Wright was a justice and Zadock Wright served on a jury. Zadock Wright continued to appear as security for others, on road crews [Peters Crk was a landmark], serving on juries. 23 Dec 1777 he produced in Court his commission appointing him a Capt of the Militia and he took his oath. He registered his cattle mark on 28 Mar 1778, as did Joshua Wright. In 1779, appeared James Wright, who also served on juries with Zadock. On 28 Mar 1780, Zadock Wright proved to the satisfaction of the Court that he had served as Lt. under Lord Dunmore in '74 - probably to apply for bounty land. In Mar of 1780, Jeremiah Wright was recommended as a Lt in the Militia
1781-1782 - Zadock Wright was listed in the 2nd Battalion of Lt Col George Vanlandingham, Robinson Twp of Washington County Militia.
Allegheny Deed Book 2, p.320 5 Nov 1790. Joseph Pierce of Cumberland Co sold to Zadok & Jeremiah Wright, 331 acres, 4 miles below Ft. Pitt. [Pittsburgh] Wit: Mich'l Jones & Sam'l Jones. Rec. 4 May 1791.
1790 Census. Allegheny Co, the part taken from Washington Co. Zadock Wright. 2m over 16, 2m under 16, 2 females, 1 slave.
1800 Census. Allegheny Co, Mifflin Twp, p.84. Zedok Wright. 2m 16-26, 2m 26-45, 1m 45+; 1f -10, 1f 26-45, 1 slave
1810 Census. Allegheny Co, Mifflin Twp, p.152:
Zadock Wright: 1m 26-45; 1m 45+; 1f 10-16; 1f 16-45
Z. Wright Jr: 5m -10, 1m 26-45; 2f 10-16, 1f 26-45
Ephrm Wright 2m -10, 1m 26-45; 4f -10, 1f 26-45
Zadock Wright had died when Ezekiel Wright, his Administrator, filed an account of the estate as found in an Allegheny Co Orphans Court Docket 1789-1820. There was no date, but based on surrounding papers, likely filed in early 1815.
1820 Census. Allegheny Co, Mifflin Twp, p.132
Ephraim Right: 2m -10, 2m 10-16, 1m 26-45; 2f -10, 2f 10-16, 1f 26-45
Also the Widow Wright lived in Pittsburgh Twp. She had 2m -10, 3m 16-26, 1f -10, 1f 10-16 and herself age 26-45. [She would not be Zadock's widow.] A John & Thomas Wright also lived in Pittsburgh Twp.

I found nothing that would indicate any tie between Zadock of PA and Gideon and Hezekiah of NC, but then I've found nothing to indicate the origins of any of these Wrights.

??? WRIGHT had the following children: