Grant Wright
I have heard that my grandmother (Cora Jane Wright-Autry) always told
that her father (Grant Wright) was the son of Jane Wright and a Caucasian
named Lloyd Smith who was of the Colly and/or Elizabethtown townships.
There could very well be truth to this and I am not surprised about
it at all because at that time it was a common practice. The Caucasian
of the 1860's and 70's anywhere, USA had their way with any African
American woman they wanted and due to fear there was nothing said
or done about it. Sometime in the future I am going to research Lloyd
Smith to find his marital descendants and all of this will be mentioned
on some other page some other day.
On the other hand I have heard my elder uncles and their first cousins
say that they knew Grant's father was a Caucasian because of his
(Grant's) Caucasian features. I have often thought and have mentioned
to them that Joseph Wright or his wife Jane could have also been
part Caucasian and African (mulattos). Either of their parents could
have been caught up in the "slave
master trap" and had those same Caucasian features in them
that were eventually passed on to Grant.
Grant who was born in 1868 was found in 1870 and 1880 living with
Joseph and Jane Wright and was listed as their oldest child. Sometime
in the mid 1880's he met and married Mary Catherine Sutton, who
was born in 1869. Mary was the daughter of William Riley and LaNora
Sutton who was also of Bladen County. Grant and Mary's home was
located on what was and still is called the Sugar Loaf. The Sugar
Loaf is a place that is located on the northern banks of the Cape
Fear River and is within the Colly township. They continued to live
there for the remainder of their natural lives. They both died sometime
after 1930 and are buried on the Sugar Loaf. I have been to their
grave sites many times.
Mary and Grant had many children that were born and raised on the
Sugar Loaf here in the Colly township. Three of his daughters would
eventually marry into Ned Edmund Autry's large family of Johnson's
and Autrys. They were Desi, Cora and Nollie. Their youngest daughter
Alice Wright-Smith is still alive and well, what a blessing! Click
here to view Grant's family of Wrights.
I did not know Grant or any of his brothers and sisters but I have
had the pleasure to meet and know some of his children. Excluding
my grandmother Cora, I have met personally Nollie, Avant, John William,
Isabell, Dessie, Alice and have heard much talk about Hezikia.
Listed below are the descendants of Grant Wright.
1 Grant Wright 1868 - 1930
.. +Mary Catherine Sutton 1869 - 1930
..... 2 Cora Jane Wright 1893 - 1983
......... +Oscar Autry 1885 - 1976
..... 2 Rena Wright-Shirley 1889 -
..... 2 Nollie Wright 1896 -
......... +Johnny Johnson 1888 -
..... 2 General Grant Wright 1897 -
..... 2 Avant Wright 1899 - 1980
..... 2 John William Wright 1892 -
......... +Rebecca 1898 -
..... 2 Levi Wright 1901 -
..... 2 Isabelle Wright-McLaurin 1903 - 1991
..... 2 Hezeki Wright 1905 -
......... +Mary L. 1907 -
..... 2 Odessa Dessie Wright 1908 - 1966
......... +James Lonzy Autry 1905 - 1974
..... 2 Alice Wright-Smith
Grant was the son of Joseph and Jane Wright. Click
here for information about Joseph and Jane.
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