Abel Wright (1631-1725)

Vital statistics

 * Sex: Male
 * Born: 1631 at England
 * Died: 29 at Springfield, Massachusetts

Spouse(s)

 * Martha Ketcherell (1645-1708), daughter of Samuel Ketcherell (c. 1619-1651) and Martha Chapman (c. 1616-1662)

Offspring

 * 1) Joseph Wright (1660-1736)
 * 2) Martha Wright (1662-????)
 * 3) Abel Wright, Jr. (1664-????)
 * 4) Benjamin Wright (1667-????)
 * 5) Hannah Wright (1669-????)
 * 6) Henry Wright (1671-1671)
 * 7) Sarah Wright (1673-1770)
 * 8) Mary Wright (1675-????)
 * 9) Henry Wright (1677-????)
 * 10) Samuel Wright (1679-????)
 * 11) Elizabeth Wright (1682-1683)
 * 12) John Wright (1685-1685)
 * 13) Elizabeth Wright (1687-????)

Early life and education

 * Several people (who all seem to be copying someone else) believe Abel was son of John Wright and Jane Richall. The one gedcom they all refer to is that of Dick Dutton, but Dick Dutton (now deceased) claims (without source) that Abel was the son of Edward Wright of Lincoln (others who support this name Agnes Keale as the mother.)

Military service

 * Lieutenant

Career

 * Made Freeman 19 Dec 1690 (NEHGS, 1849, p. 351)

Family life
"Genealogy of Lieut. Abel Wright, of Springfield, Mass." by Rev. Stephen Wright, of Glen's Falls, NY (NEHGS, 1881 pp. 74-75):


 * "Lieut. Abel Wright was found among the early settlers of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Connecticut Valley, who spent a mature life of seventy years there, from 1655 to 1725, when he died at the advanced age of ninety-four years. Where he came from or who were his parents, I have been unable to ascertain. There were other Wright settlers in the colonies before him in Eastern Massachusetts-- as Capt. Richard Wright at Lynn in 1630; John Wright, at Woburn in 1641; Robert Wright at Boston in 1643, according to Dr. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary... And at Wethersfeld, Conn., below Hartford, there was a Thomas Wright as early as 1639, who had quite a family. Also Dea. Samuel Wright was an early settler of Springfield about the same year, 1639-40, who had a family of eight children, all named; but no Abel among either of these families is given in their records.


 * Abel Wright married Dec. 1, 1659 Martha Kitcherel, daughter of Samuel K. of Hartford, Conn., and had a family of thirteen children, of whom ten married...

In 1708, July 26th, Indians came upon the town and despoiled his family, scalping his wife, who died in consequence on the 19th of October following. They also killed an infant of his son Henry and captured his wife who died soon after..."

Contributors
Jillaine