Samuel Wright (1812 - 1877)

Born 22 May 1812 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Ann (Tone) Wright — married about 1832 in England

Died 19 Dec 1877 at age 65 in Boston, Massachusetts

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Biography

SAMUEL WRIGHT's Findagrave page gives his timeline and has links to some of his sons. A family dedicated to athleticism, producing two sons responsible for shaping the game of professional baseball, and who would end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Harry Wright and George Wright.

There is a birth record for May 22, 1812 in Sheffield England, and a death record for December 19, 1877 in Boston for Samuel Wright. These records concur Samuel's parents were Daniel and Sarah Wright.

About 1834 Samuel wed Ann Tone(born in Ireland around 1813). Ann's maiden name would be verified later in the death record of daughter Mary on February 27, 1906 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

In 1835, in Sheffield England, Samuel and Ann had their first son, William Henry Wright. Shortly thereafter, the couple moved to the United States, settling in New York. This is shown by census reports of 1840-1855 for New York.

The 1840 census of New York shows a Samuel Wright with 2 boys under age 5, and Samuel being of the correct age group.

The 1850 census New York shows Samuel, Ann, son William Henry, and reveals other children: 1837 Daniel, 1847 George, 1849 Samuel.

New York's 1855 report notes Samuel as a cricket player. It also notes addition of daughter Mary E. Wright.

The 1850 and 1855 censuses repeat that son William was born in England, and all other children were born in New York. Both reports show Samuel born in England, Ann in Ireland.

The 1860 census showed the family had moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, with Samuel listed as a cricketeer. Also reflected was eldest son William had moved on.

Samuel was a respected cricket player, and a site devoted to that sport, SAMUEL WRIGHT cricketarchive.com has a page for him. He played for the Saint George Cricket Club of New York from 1840-1862. It is also noted he worked as a "wood turner". Another site, baseballnuggets.blogspot.com has an extensive biography.

Samuel's sons joined in the sport of cricket, but two sons would become infatuated with the American game of baseball.

Son William Henry Wright eventually got the nickname Harry. Harry's tombstone notes he was the father of baseball.

Harry first played amateur ball, then organized what is purported to be the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. The team went 65-0 in it's first year. Harry and George were on the team, and were the two highest paid players.

Samuel's son George Wright was the shortstop super star of the game, still noted as such by the Cincinnati Reds website and the Hall of Fame website.

At the time sons Harry and George were in Cincinnati, Samuel(Sr.) and wife Ann had settled in New Jersey in 1870 in son Daniel's home. Daniel had married Margaret E. ..?.. about 1862, and one child is noted; George, born in New Jersey in 1865.

Also in Daniel Wright's home was sister Mary, and brother Samuel. Daniel was working as a clerk, and Samuel Jr. as a bookbinder. Young Samuel would eventually try his luck at baseball, but had limited playing time in a three year period in the late 1870s to early 1880s.

In 1874, son Harry organized a tour of Europe. It lasted about a month, and took place in England and Ireland. It featured exhibition baseball matches between players representing the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics. Samuel Sr.'s sons Harry, George, and Samuel Jr. played for the Boston squad. There were also cricket matches pitting the Americans versus local teams. The Americans won all the cricket matches, certainly due to the expertise they learned from Samuel Sr..

Samuel(Sr.) died in Boston on December 19, 1877 surrounded by his family. Most of the family was living in Boston, and as shown in the 1880 census, George was listed as baseball player, and Harry noted as "dealer in sporting goods" in the census.

In a separate entry for Boston in the 1880 census, Samuel(Jr.) was shown as head of house, with occupation Baseball Player. In the home with him was sister Mary, and two of their nephews. One nephew Charles, born about 1860, was listed as a clerk in a shoe store. Charles was the son of Harry Wright. The other nephew George, born in 1865, was the son of Samuel's brother Daniel.

George Wright and his son Beals Wright would have part interest in a sportings goods company owned by Spalding, called Wright & Ditson. One of Wright & Ditson's specialties was tennis raquets. George's son Beals Wright, turned out to be a champion tennis player, winning 4 Grand Slam events. More on Wright & Ditson at History of Wright & Ditson.

Possible that George's brother Daniel was involved in the business. I found an 1880 census for San Jose, California that shows a Daniel Wright working as a shoe salesman. This Daniel Wright shows birth in New York in the correct year(1837), and father born in England, mother in Ireland, also matching.

In the 1900 census Samuel(Jr.) was living in the home of sister Mary Wright Craige and brother-in-law Temple Craige. Samuel was apparently involved in the Wright & Ditson venture, as his occupation was listed as raquet stringer.

Samuel Sr.'s sons George and Harry were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. George in 1937, and Harry in 1953.

Most sources attached to SAMUEL WRIGHT's FamilySearch profile.

Sources

• *1812 Sheffield England birth record
• 1840 New York census
• 1850 New York census
• 1855 New York census
• 1877 Massachusetts death record
• 1880 census reports Boston, MA
• cricketarchives.com
• baseballnuggets.blogspot.com
• Baseball Hall of Fame
• Findagrave 158341180
• 1906 Massachusetts death record(daughter Mary)
• FamilySearch profile K8X1-FWD