Return to the Land

Joseph and Sarah’s son, Francis, married Elizabeth Eaton of Ireland. Francis and Elizabeth Eaton Wright had nine children. Their second son was named Johnny W.A. Wright who was born in November of 1804 in Ireland. In 1824, Johnny Wright came to America along with two brothers and a sister. They first landed in Canada and after a brief stay there they moved to an Irish settlement in Giles County, Virginia. Later Johnny and his brother David returned to Ireland to wed. Lettitia Stafford became Johnny Wright’s bride and Susan Stafford , Lettitia’s sister, became the wife of David Wright. With their new brides the brothers returned to Virginia to live. Johnny and Lettitia would have four children named Eliza Susan, David Oliver, William Brown, and Milton Stafford. Johnny obtained a large land grant that began at Hollybrook (then in Giles County) and went to Wolfe Creek Mountain. Land had little value then and he would sell and trade land for the things he needed. Once he traded 100 acres to a grandson for a shotgun. Johnny’s son, David Oliver Wright would later inherit much of this land which he later deeded to his children and which included my future farm on Nobusiness. Johnny owned the only carding machine in the area and farmers traveled long distances by horse and wagon to bring their wool and he would weave it into cloth. Johnny W. A. Wright died on September 28, 1890 and was buried in the Wright Cemetery at Poplar Hill in Giles County, Va.

Johnny W.A. and Lettetia Wright

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