Nicholas Wright

Nicholas was one of the three Wright brothers, Peter, Anthony and Nicholas, who went from Lynn to Sandwich and then, in 1653, to the founding of Oyster Bay on Long Island. They were in Massachusetts "as early as 1636-7," and believed to have come of the old Wright family of Norfolk (source, p. 35).

Sandwich. "They are found first residing at Lynn, then called Saugus, in Massachussetts, but shortly afterwards removed to Sandwich, Cape Cod ... Here several of the children of Peter and Nicholas were born" (source, p. 35). On the Plymouth list of 1643 of the Sandwich men able to bear arms, "Nicholas Wright," "Peter Wright" and "Anthony Wright" stand with John Ellis, Thomas Tupper, John Freeman, Edmund Freeman Jr. and Henry Feake (source, PCR 8:192-193): his daughter Rebecca grew up among the Freeman-Ellis ancestors. Their minister at Sandwich was William Leverich.

Oyster Bay. "In 1653 they joined the company led by the Rev. William Leverich, and came to Long Island, and united in the first purchase from the Indians" of Oyster Bay (source, p. 35). The Indian deed of 1653 sold the land between Oyster River and the Papaquetunk "unto Peter Wright Samuel Mayo, William Leverich" for "Six Indean Coats, Six Kettles, Six ffathum of Wampam Six Hoes, Six Hatchetts, Three paire of Stockings, Thirty Aule-blades or Moxes, Twenty Knives, Three Shirts" and some peague (record, pp. 354-355). Nicholas's land lay on the Beaver Swamp Creek, at Hog Island and by Joseph Weekes's home lot; "the town records contain abundant entries, showing him to have been a man of large estate, for those days, and occupying sundry public offices" (Latting, p. 43). The brothers were early Friends: Anthony's house was the Oyster Bay meeting place, and in 1672 he gave part of his home lot for the Quakers' burying ground and meeting house. Peter's daughters were among the boldest of the early Quakers: Hannah Wright, at fourteen, went to Boston in 1662 and "warned the magistrates 'to spill no more innocent blood'" (Latting, p. 39, quoting Sewel), and drowned in Maryland in 1675 on a Friends' journey with Matthew Prior, who wrote her testimony.

His daughter's case. In March 1669/70 he carried to Governor Lovelace "a Peticon from Rebecka ye wife of Eleazer Leveredg ... by ye hands of her father Nicholas Wright," and on 1 April 1670 the governor ordered a hearing because "Nicholas Wright of Oyster bay hath on ye behalfe of Rebeckah his daught[er] wife of Eleazer Leveridg of Huntington made Complaint unto me of ye uncomfortable condition wherein his said Daughter hath for diuers yeares past liued w[i]th her said husband" (record, pp. 43, 331-332). The marriage was declared void that October, on his petition again.

His will. His brother Anthony, who never married, left small bequests in 1673 to Nicholas's wife and children, "To Rebecca ffrost, two shillings, six pence," and, at the end, "Alsoe, I give unto Isaack Dotye one cow" (Latting, p. 37). Nicholas made his own will the next spring: "Oysterbay, the 10th of April, 1674. I, Nicholas Wright, aged sixty-five years or thereabouts. Being sick and weake, yett in perfect memory ... I make my Loving wife, Ann Wright, sole Executor of my movables, both within my house and without, both of kine, horse-flesh, and swine, together with my house and Lands." The home lot and orchard went, after Ann's death, to Caleb, and the lands and meadows to "my three sonns, Caleb, John, and Edmund"; witnesses Thomas Townsend and Gideon Wright (source, p. 44). It names no daughters, "probably because they were all married" (source, p. 20).

King Philip's War. At Oyster Bay's town meeting of 3 May 1675, "Nathanyell Coles is Chosen Const: for this prsent yeare 1675 Oversers Nich: Wright, Tho: Townesend; Josias Latting, Matthias Harvy" (record, 1:225); Nathaniel Coles and Josias Latting were the husbands of his daughters Martha and Sarah. That summer the town ordered its men to meet "at ye house of Anth: Wrights" to cut brush on the commons (5 July 1675), and on 16 August "yt A Towne house bee built, wth what Expedish, it can bee" (1:226). Long Island was outside the fighting, but Governor Andros's orders bore on the town. On 14 Sept 1675 his council heard "the Complaint of Capt. Thomas Townsend of Oyster bay, That many of ye Inhabitants there being Quakers & refusing to beare arms, they are disabled from keeping so strong a watch as is required," and ordered that all bound to serve on watches or trainings obey, "Otherwise ye Constable & Overseers of the respective places are strictly required to Levy The fines vpon the Estates of all persons that shall make defaults therein" (record, 14:697). On 19 October Andros wrote "To the Constable & Overseers of Oyster bay" that "severall of the Inhabitants of Oyster bay ... are still very backward in making up their ffortifications," and required them all to finish "the said Worke already begunn," leaving it to the constable and overseers to spare "Such Auncient persons as have principally contributed to the building of the House" taken within the fort (14:704), probably the town house voted in August. So it fell, very probably, to Nicholas and the other overseers to levy those fines on the town's Friends, Wrights among them.

He died at Oyster Bay in 1682. Twelve years later his sons John and Edmund sold to David Underhill land "formerly given by the town to Nicholas Wright and by him to his sons John and Edmond" (source, 2:78). His children, by Latting: Caleb; John, who married Mary, daughter of the first Henry Townsend; Sarah, who married Josias Latting; Edmund, who married his cousin Sarah, Peter's daughter; Martha, who married Nathaniel Coles; Mercy, who married Robert Coles; and Rebecca (Wright) Frost (p. 44).

Research: The Long Island Quaker families of the Frost line; the war: King Philip's War: the Connecticut valley, the Colony of Connecticut, Long Island and New Paltz.

Open questions

• Whether he or his household were fined for refusing the watch in 1675-6 (Andros's council minutes; the court of sessions; the Oyster Bay rate list of 1675).
• Where he came from in England.
• Whether Ann was his only wife, and so Rebecca's mother.
• The year of probate, 1682 or 1683: his will in New York Wills, Lib. 2, pp. 133-135.