Corporal Charles Albert WRIGHT
County of London Regiment
The Wright family can be traced back to Woodnewton when the marria
ge of John Wright and Rose Richison took place in 1600. However, as we do not know which one of the couple were resident in the village at the time (it was normal to marry in the bride’s church), we will have to conclude that their son, Edward baptised in 1605, as being the first ancestor from Woodnewton.
Charles Albert Wright was born on 9th July 1893, at Woodnewton, to parents Herbert Wright and Roseanne Wright (nee Dixon).
By 1906 he had left school and went to work, a
nd we know by the 1911 census that he was a servant at Apethorpe Hall working for the Brassey family.
Unfortunately, there are no military papers available (we only have to suppose that they were caught up in the fire during World War II), but as he appears on the Woodnewton Roll of Honour he must have given his parents address when he enlisted.
The Peterborough Standard 8th April 1916, ran a story about Charles stating that he had been wounded. The newspaper article reported as follows:-
“Information has been received by Mr and Mrs H Wright of Woodnewton, that their son, Lance-Corpl. ,Charles Wright, of the Machine Gun Corps, has been seriously wounded, in his head, caused by an aerial torpedo bursting over the trench. He has been removed from France to Clifton House, Regent’s Park Hospital, Southampton, and is going on well. He has been on active service for over a year, going out in March 1915, and was home on leave for a week in February last”.
Charles was married on 16th August 1920 to Alice Turver at All Saints Church, Darrington, York, and when his son, Michael Gancel Wright is born in 1921, he has given his occupation as a railwayman. The next record of him is at 353 Marine Road, Morecambe, in the 1939 Register: Charles and his wife, Alice are both listed as Hotel Keepers.
Charles’ death was registered in Bridlington, Yorkshire in 1983, so did he have a career change, or simply retire to his wife’s home county of Yorkshire?
Herbert Wright was indeed the last of the Wright family to reside in Woodnewton, remaining there until his death in 1943.
2022
2026 – Further information