John Waldron Wright

London-based Honduras merchant.

1. Married Ann Young at St Andrew Undershaft 06/11/1830. Died in or about the month of August 1850, late of 52 Old Broad Street and 19 Cumberland Terrace Regents Park: buried St Pancras Chapel 17/08/1850 aged 61 'Norfolk Road'.

2. Magistrate and Member of Legislative Assembly, at least 1826-29; ran a merchant house in Belize, named John Waldron Wright.

3. In will left a Government Life Annuity of £40p/a to his housekeeper Mary McTurk for her 'faithful, kind, diligent and robust service to me and my late wife'. To his friend Thomas Pickstock (q.v.) £500. To his 4 'natural daughters': Susanna Gray, Catherine Westby, Helen Arthurs and Ann Hodson £2000 each. To his 'natural daughter' Maria Robinson '(she having made an unfortunate match)' £4000. All rest and residue to his 'natural son' John Wright (born 20/12/1827) until he reaches age of 30. Appointed Thomas Pickstock, Henry McPersey, James Wilson of Dublin and son-in-law Robert Gray as executors. Considering the dates, it is likely, although not confirmed, that his 'natural children' were born in Honduras and of mixed race.

T71/878 Honduras claim nos. 65 and 123.

1. Ancestry.com, London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 [database online]; London Gazette, Issue 21457, 12/07/1853, p. 16 [advertisement for creditors pursuant to a decree in a cause Wright against Pickstock]; Ancestry.com, London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 [database online] (where his burial year is mistrancribed as 1845).

2. Honduras Almanack (1829), pp. 97, 146; The Honduras Gazette and Commercial Advertiser (1826-27), available: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6L4NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PT132&lpg=PT132&dq=john+petzhold+british+honduras&source=bl&ots=5hx87g2Bet&sig=qPKIGfRYTZd3PeN1WJxF2d6_lPY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT2bLJ54bOAhXK0RoKHR0VATUQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=petzhold&f=false

3. Will of John Waldron Wright, Merchant of No 52 Old Broad Street London, 21/8/1850, TNA/PROB 11/2118/406

We are grateful to Cynthia Gentles for her help compiling this entry.