Descriptive SummaryMSS 1450Wright Family Letters,
1860-1884Wright familyL. Tom Perry Special Collections56 itemsMormon
pioneer.Holographs with photocopies. Collection
includes correspondence between George Wright and his family during his
immigration to Utah detailing his handcart journey, 1860-1861, and
correspondence of other Wright family members between England and Utah,
1869-1884.ProvenanceThe Wright family letters were originally collected and preserved by
Joseph and Martha Wright. They were afterwards stored in Ann Rippon's trunk,
which was passed down to her grandson Charles S. Rippon. Mr. Rippon donated the
letters to Brigham Young University in 1978.
AccessFor the purpose of preservation, the use of the photocopies of the
original documents is required. Permission to use the original documents must
be obtained from the Board of Curators of Special Collections &
Manuscripts.
Conditions of UseWith the exception of brief extracts, permission to reproduce or
publish any of the documents in this collection must be secured from the Harold
B. Lee Library.
Permission to publish material from the Wright Family Letters must be
obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry
Special Collections Board of Curators.
Preferred CitationInitial Citation:MSS 1450; Wright Family
Letters, 1860-1884; 19th Century Western and Mormon Americana; L. Tom Perry
Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
Following Citations:MSS 1450, LTPSC.
Biographical HistoryJoseph Wright and Martha Rippon were married in 1829, and established
their home at Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, England, a small town made up
principally of miners, where Martha had been born and raised. There they had
ten children, none of whom lived to maturity. Joseph, a coal miner himself,
owned several houses which he rented to other miners to help support the
family.
In 1848, the Wright family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Between 1860 and 1874, all of the family except for John,
the sixth of the Wright children, came to Utah. At age 25, George Wright was
the first of the family to make the journey, which he undertook in 1860, with
the ninth handcart company, settling in the Great Salt Lake City, where he died
one year after his arrival in Utah.
The next three members of the Wright family immigrated to Utah in 1868
and settled at Coalville, which was to become the new Wright family home.
Martha Rippon Wright came to Utah in 1870, when she was nearly sixty years old,
bringing with her the three youngest Wright children, age 18 to 24. Joseph
Wright, Sr., with his daughter Ann and her husband, were the last to come, in
1874.
After their settlement in Utah, the Wright family contributed in many
ways to the progress of the community. Their early activities included work on
the Union Pacific Railroad and in local mines. Later they owned and operated
the Wright Brothers Ranch near Evanston, Wyoming. Family members have held
various civic and church positions, including service as missionaries to
various parts of the world.
Scope and Content NoteThe Wright Family Letters Collection is made up of letters exchanged
between members of the family in Utah and in England. The bulk of these letters
were written by George Wright, in 1860-61, and the rest by various family
members, from 1861 to 1884.
The George Wright letters are a particular interest. They provide a
valuable account of his voyage across the Atlantic to New York; his journey to
Florence, Nebraska, by boat and railroad; and his long journey to Salt Lake
City, by handcart. During the latter he kept a detailed account of the
landmarks which they passed and distances which they traveled each day. His
letters are remarkable for the excellent descriptions of his experiences and
surroundings.
Related materials are found in the Norma Jean Wright Trietsch
Collection, Mss 1466, which contains her history of the Wright Family, entitled
"They Came From England: The Wrights of Coalville, Utah, 1860-1972." Mrs.
Trietsch is a descendant of Thomas and Annie Dale Wright. She used many of the
letters in this collection in writing her history of the Wright family.
Subject TracingsPeopleWright familyWright, Sarah S.Wright, John, 1841-1914Hobson, AndrewRippon, Ann W., 1838-1912PlacesUnited States--Emigration and immigrationGenre/FormLettersSubjectMormon pioneersMormon handcart companiesContainer ListPapersPapers,
1860-1884FolderContents
Folders 1-17 contain contain writings of George Wright,
including correspondence with his family 1860-1861, and a poem.
1Letters to his family, 1860-61Liverpool, England, March 25 and 27, 1860.2New York, New York, May 2, 1860.3Florence, Nebraska, May 12, 1860.4Salt Lake City, UtahSeptember 7, 1860.5October 5 and 12, 1860.6November or December 1860.7January 18, 1861.8February 22, 1861.9April 5, 1861.10April 26, 1861.11May 31, 1861.12July 13, 1861.13Letters from his family, 1860-61, written from
Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, England.From Thomas and Lydia Wright, Andrew and Edith Hobson,
and ?, November 26, 1860.14From John Wright, William James Wright and Lydia and
Thomas Wright, Andrew and Edith Hobson, and ?, May 21, 1861.15From Ann Wright, undated.16From ?, undated17Poem by George Wright to his wife.18From Joseph Wright to his family, February 21, 1869,
written from Coalville, Utah.From Thomas Wright to his family, February 21, 1869,
written from Coalville, Utah.Folders 19-24 contain letters from John and Sarah S.
Wright to their family in Utah, 1871-84, written from Handsworth Woodhouse,
Yorkshire, England.
19From Sarah S. Wright, January 18, 1871.20From John Wright, August 27, 1872.21From John and Sarah Wright, February 13,
1883.22From John Wright, April 17, 1883.23From John Wright, May 23, 1884.24From Sarah S. Wright, October 6, 1884.From John Wright, October 10, 1884.Folders 25-26 contain letters from Ann Wright Rippon to
her family in Utah, 1870-74, written from Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire,
England.
25From Ann W. Rippon, February 12, 1874.26From Ann W. Rippon, undated (between
1870-74).27Index to photocopies of the Wright Family
letters.28Photocopies of letters from George Wright to his family,
1860, written en route to Utah.- pg. 1-4 Liverpool, England, March 25 and 27, 1860.
- pg. 5-10 New York City, New York, May 2, 1860.
- pg. 11-16 Florence, Nebraska, May 12, 1860.
29Photocopies of letters from George Wright to his family,
1860-61, written at Salt Lake City, Utah.- pg. 17-18 September 7, 1860.
- pg. 19-26 October 5 and 12, 1860.
- pg. 27-32 November or December 1860.
- pg. 33-38 January 18, 1861.
- pg. 39-40 February 22, 1861.
- pg. 41-50 April 5, 1861.
- pg. 51-54 April 26, 1861.
- pg. 55-64 May 31, 1861.
- pg. 65-68 July 13, 1861.
30Photocopies of letters from the Wright family to George
Wright, 1860-61, written at Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire
England.- pg. 60-72 November 26, 1860.
- pg. 73-76 May 21, 1861.
- pg. 77-78 From Ann Wright, undated.
- pg. 79-80 From (?), undated.
31pg. 81-82 Poem by George Wright to his wife
Mary.32Photocopies of letters from Joseph and Thomas Wright to
their family, February 21, 1869, written from Coalville, Utah.- pg. 83-86 From Joseph Wright.
- pg. 87-88 From Thomas Wright.
33Letters from John and Sarah S. Wright, 1871-74, written
from handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, England.- pg. 89-90 From Sarah S. Wright, January 18, 1871.
- pg. 91-92 From John Wright, August 27, 1872.
- pg. 93-94 From John and Sarah S. Wright, February 13,
1883.
- pg. 95-96 From John Wright, April 17, 1883.
- pg. 97 From Sarah S. Wright, May 23, 1884.
- pg. 98-101 From John and Sarah S. Wright, October 6 and
10, 1884.
34Photocopies of letters from Ann Wright Rippon, 1870-74,
written from Handsworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, England.- pg. 102-103 February 12, 1874.
- pg. 104-105 Undated.