Person:Sarah Wright (125)

Sarah Wright was born in 1867 at Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, daughter of a straw plaiter called Maria Wright, formerly Hornet, and her husband Charles Wright, a labourer. When Sarah was only one year old, her father died.

The 1871 census finds Sarah living with her mother, sister and brother at The Folly in Wheathampstead. Later that year, Sarah's mother remarried, with a Daniel William Nicholls becoming Sarah's stepfather. He already had seven children, who were already Sarah's cousins, as their mother had been Maria Hornet's half sister. Daniel's children now also became Sarah's step-siblings. Confusingly, the combined family had two children called Sarah who were about the same age: Sarah Wright born in 1867 and Sarah Nicholls born in 1868.

The 1881 census finds Sarah living with her mother, stepfather, step siblings and half siblings at Brewhouse Hill in Wheathampstead.

By 1891, Sarah had moved to the nearby town of Luton, where she lived with her aunt, Amelia Worsley (formerly Wright), showing that Sarah had stayed in touch with her late father's family. Sarah was described as a hat finisher at this time.

In 1892, Sarah had a daughter called May. The 1901 census finds Sarah and her daughter living with Amelia Worsley in Luton, as well as with one of Amelia's other nieces, Lilla (who appears to have been Amelia's brother George's daughter).

Sarah's mother died in 1906 in St Albans.

By 1911, Sarah was a patient at the Hertfordshire County Asylum at Hill End on the outskirts of St Albans. She was described as both a charwoman and a lunatic. Her daughter May at this time was living with Sarah's cousin and stepsister Mary Ann Nicholls in Harpenden.

Sarah died in St Albans in 1919, aged 51.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Sarah WRIGHT, June Quarter 1867, St Albans Registration District, Volume 3a, page 340, mother's maiden name Hornet

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Wheathampstead Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Wheathampstead in the County of Hertford in the Year 1868
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parent's Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   438	March 29	Sarah	Charles & Maria	Wright	The Folly, Wheathampstead	Labourer	Owen W. Davys, Rector

3. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1376; Folio 36; Page 34, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: The Folly, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Maria Wright, head, widow, female, 39 [1831/2], Straw plaitter, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Sophia Hornet, daughter, female, 9 [1861/2], Straw plaitter, b. St Albans, Hertfordshire
   Frederic Wright, son, male, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1429; Folio 48; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Daniel Nichols, head, married, male, 47 [1833/4], Farm labourer, b. Gustard Wood, Hertfordshire
   Maria Nichols, wife, married, female, 48 [1832/3], Straw plaiter, b. Batford Mills, Hertfordshire
   Frederick Nichols, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1861/2], Farm labourer, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Mary Ann Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1863/4], Straw plaiter, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Nichols, daughter, unmarried, female, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Arthur Nichols, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Clara Nichols, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   George Nichols, son, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Nomansland, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, daughter, female, 13 [1867/8], Scholar (2nd family), b. Folly, Hertfordshire

5. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1274; Folio 56; Page 31, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 48 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Worsley, head, married, male, 60 [1830/1], Groom, employed, b. Markyate, Hertfordshire
   Amelia Worsley, wife, married, female, 45 [1845/6], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, niece, female, 22 [1868/9], Hat Finisher, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   William Clark, boarder, single, male, 22 [1868/9], Hat packer, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1514; Folio 14; Page 19, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 33 Stuart Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Amelia Worsley, head, widow, female, 58 [1842/3], Straw Hat Maker, own account, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Wright, niece, female, 28 [1872/3], Finisher Straw Hats, worker, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Lilly Wright, niece, single, female, 11 [1889/90], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   May Wright, niece, single, female, 7 [1893/4], b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Catherine Evans, visitor, married, female, 53 [1847/8], No occupation, b. Egham, Surrey

7. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 7686, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Hertfordshire County Asylum, Hill End, St Albans, Hertfordshire
   [many patients, including:]
   S. Wright, patient, 42 [1868/9], single, Charwoman, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, Lunatic

   No other unmarried S. Wright born in Wheathampstead between 1857 and 1877 has been found in the 1901 census, suggesting this S. Wright must be Sarah. Sarah's aunt Amelia Worsley was still living in Luton with niece Lilla Wright in 1911, but Sarah was not with them.

8. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Sarah WRIGHT, March Quarter 1919, St Albans Registration District, Volume 3a, page 1150, aged 51 [1867/8]

   There were two other Sarah Wrights born between 1857 and 1877 were living in the St Albans district in the 1911 census:
   Sarah Wright, 53 [1857/8], wife of James Wright living at The Hill in Wheathampstead - likely to be the Sarah Wight who died in 1938 in St Albans district, aged 79 [1858/9].
   Sarah Wright, 48 [1862/3], married but husband not at home, at 83 Sopwell Lane, St Albans with children Herbert and Cyril - appears in 1939 register still at that address - likely to be the Sarah Wright who died in 1958 in the St Albans district, aged 95 [1862/3].