Member of the Chelsea Vestry Hall Building Committee in 1885.
From : "Lord Cadogan extended the line of Tite Street north of Royal Hospital Road and leased land on the east side to Henry John Wright, builder, in 1883, who had built no. 25, and made further attempts to upgrade existing parts of the estate, in 1886 agreeing to provide land to widen Flood Street and Queen's Road West (later Royal Hospital Road) if he was allowed to stop up George Place, a narrow cul-de-sac which ran northwards from Queen's Road close to the junction."
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, writes that Henry John Wright was born on 4 December 1849 the youngest of the five children of Thomas Wright (1809-1888) and Sarah Wright née Fardell (1808-1890). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1850 in the Chelsea Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 27 January 1850 he was baptised at St Luke's Church, Sydney Street. Chelsea, where in the baptismal register his date of birth is confirmed, that his family were living at 72 Alfred Place, Chelsea and that his father was a bricklayer.
His four siblings were: Jane Wright; Emma Wright (b.1839); Fanny Wright (b.1843); Ellen Wright (b.1845) and William Thomas Wright (b.1847).
In the census that was compiled on 7 April 1861 he was shown as Hy. Jno. Wright, aged 11 years and a scholar, living at 47 Sloane Square, Chelsea, with his parents and two of his sisters: Emma Wright - a dressmaker and Ellen Wright, together with one male and two female lodgers. His father was described as a builder.
When the next census was undertaken on 2 April 1871 he was listed as Henry J. Wright, aged 21 years and a bricklayer, residing at 33 Markham Square, Chelsea, with his parents and his six-year-old niece, Nelly M. O'Brien. His father was shown as a bricklayer employing 12 men.
On 12 October 1872 he married Frances Amelia Cole (1852-1901) at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 22 years, a bachelor and a builder, living at 33 Markham Square, Chelsea, the son of Thomas Wright, a builder, whilst his wife was shown as aged 19 years and a spinster, the daughter of Cornelius Robert Cole, a jeweller.
On the census that was held on 3 April 1881 he is shown as aged 31 years and a builder employing 52 men, living at 37 Tedworth Square, Chelsea, with his wife and their four children; Florence Fanny Wright (1873-1938) - a scholar; Henry Thomas Wright (b.1877); Percy John Wright (1878-1937) and Ethel Amelia Wright (1880-1913), together with two female general servants.
When his fifth child, Lilia Emily Wight (1886-1873), was baptised on 3 November 1886 at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, the baptismal register shows that family address to be Liverpool Road, Kingston Hill, Surrey (now Greater London) and gives is occupation as a builder.
The census that was collected on 5 April 1891 described him as aged 41 years and a builder, residing at 68 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea, London, with his wife and their five children, together with his sister-in-law, Ellen Georgina Cole (1860-1911) and four female domestic servants.
When the census, that was gathered on 31 March 1901, he was listed as aged 51 years, a widower and a retired builder, living at 17a Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea, with three of his children: Florence Fanny Vigers; Ethel Amelia Wright and Percy John Wright - a white lead manufacturer, his son-in-law, Charles Herbert Vigers (1863-1952) - a timber merchant, together with a maid, a housemaid, a parlour-maid and a cook.
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he showed himself as aged 61 years, a widower and a retired builder, living in a 21 roomed property at 'Hollydale', Keston, Kent (now Greater London), with his daughter, Florence Fanny Vigers, his son-in-law, Charles Herbert Vigers - a timber merchant; his three grand-daughters: Marjorie Frances Vigers (1903-1993); Barbara Florence Vigers (1906-1995) and Nancy Vigers (1907-2008), together with a housekeeper, two female nurses, a parlour-maid, two housemaids and a kitchen maid. He also employed a married chauffeur who was living with his wife in the Hollydale Stable Block.
His death was registered as aged 65 years in the 2nd quarter of 1915 in the Bromley Registration District, Kent (now Greater London). He died on 10 June 1915 and was , Fulham Road, London, SW10 9UG. Probate records confirm that he died at 'Hollydale', Keston, Kent and that when probate was granted on 4 September 1915 jointly to: his son, Henry Thomas Wright; his son-in-law, Charles Herbert Vigers and to a Wilfred Griffiths, his effects totalled £81,641-19s-3d.
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