the Wright Family

My family were living at 291 Shroffold Rd when I was born in 1957. Sadly my family is very fragmented and I would dearly love to hear from anyone who knew them, especially if you remember my father. His name was Jesse Wright and my mother was Ivy Wright. They had a son called Michael who was born in 1946 and a son called Matthew who was born in 56.  I was christened Mandy. They came to the area from Rotherhithe I think.

[Brenda]

My family were living at 291 Shroffold Rd when I was born in 1957. Sadly my family is very fragmented and I would dearly love to hear from anyone who knew them, especially if you remember my father. His name was Jesse Wright and my mother was Ivy Wright. They had a son called Michael who was born in 1946 and a son called Matthew who was born in 56.  I was christened Mandy. They came to the area from Rotherhithe I think.

Do hope you have some luck tracing your family.  You might succeed now we've got this wonderful thing called Internet.  I managed to track down some of my father's family with whom we lost touch with in the early 60s. It's a great feeling and I don't care what anyone says, blood ties matter.
My friend, Christine Bourne, lived in Shroffold Road.  I'll ask her if she remembers the name.

Bren

thanks Bren, I'm really hoping for some results as there are no elderly relatives left who can fill me in on my family details. Amanda

[mike]

Hi - the original post was by Amanda - somehow I managed to delete her username, so apologies for that!

She has now re-registered so I hope will forgive me and post again soon...

[amandawr]

thanks mike, apart from hoping to find out more about my family, I enjoy reading the other posts about life in downham. although I was only a small child when we lived there I have some clear memories of my life then. I remember riding my red tricycle up and down the pavement outside our house. I am also very interested in the link with Rotherhithe as I know that lots of families from that area were rehoused in Downham. While we were living in shroffold road my mother Ivy Wright gave birth to my brother, Markham in 1959, He was born retarded due to problems at the birth and my mother nearly lost her life. Hope you don't mind me sharing these personal details but I thought it mught just help someone to remember them. It was quite tragic and the neighbours and friends must have been aware of it. Amanda

[Brenda]

I have emailed my friend, Amanda and will let you know what she says, whichever way it goes.  I presume you have posted your query on various 'looking for' websites?  I lost touch with a very dear friend when she moved and ... well, for whatever reason doesn't matter.  Anyway, I posted a 'looking for' message under the heading of the town where she last resided.  Some friends of her daughter in America saw it, contacted her and she contacted her parents to say I was looking for her.  A nice success story so don't lose hope.  I think your messages show how much you long to find your family connections again.

Bren

[Brenda]

Hallo Amanda,

I have heard from my friend.  Unfortunately she does not remember a Wright family.  So, your quest continues and I do hope you succeed.  Are you looking only for your father or for your siblings too?

Bren

[christine]

Hello Amanda
I am the friend that Brenda spoke of.  Sorry I couldn't help - I actually lived on the corner of Shaw Road and Woodbank Road (a parade of new houses which I believe replaced houses that had been destroyed during the war) from about 1947 until 1959 - my parents moved there from Reading where they had been evacuated during the war.  Good luck with your search.
Christine

[Brenda]

Hallo Chris,

I had a vague idea I'd got Shaw and Shroffold muddled up.  Brain fade strikes again!

Good to see your name pop up on 'our' site. 

Bren

[amandawr]

I'm mostly looking for anyone who knew my father, Jessie Wright as my parents parted when I was 3 and I lost contact with him in the eary 60's. He was born in rotherhithe and moved to downham maybe when they married in 1946 or soon after.  He had five brothers but I haven't been able to find any of them. Also I am looking for my brother Michael Wright who was born in 1946 and would have been at senior school when the family lived in Shroffold Road.  He had ash blond hair and wore thick glasses becasue his eyesight was very poor. The brother, Markham, whom I mentioned in a previous post went to live in Goldie Leigh Hospital where they had a unit for retarded children. Sadly I have no idea what happened to him either. Broken families are a cause of a lot of sadness, I have always wanted to find them. But of course I also know that, if I do, it won't necessarily mean a happy ending. Nice to chat to Downham folk anyway. Here in Northern Ireland where I have been living since 1979 no one has heard of it! Amanda

[Brenda]

Hallo Amanda,

Well, that's certainly a sad story and I can imagine just how it makes you feel to have lost your family.  What sort of research are you doing on-line? 

I remember an albino on Downham but as you don't use that term (and it may not be politically correct these days), I presume this would not have been your brother.  I rather think he was older than me anyway so the dates don't fit.

May I ask if your mother supplied you with any other information about your brothers?

Bren

[amandawr]

hello Bren, no, my brother Markham was not an albino, be was born with brain damage due to lack of oxygen during an emergency C section. My mother said he was put into care when he was very young and she couldn't cope. She doesn't want to talk about the past so I can't ask her for more information. My brother Michael was born in Shroffold road 1946, another boy was born shorthly after, my brother Matthew in 1956 and myself, christened Mandy, in 1957. After Markham was born in 1959 and put into care the family moved away and the marriage broke up.  The only brother I know is Matthew who knows less than I do about the family.  Michael would have been at school in Downham, but I don't know what schools he went to. I remember he wore a cap and short trousers but I expect all school boys did then!
I have been searching census records for previous generations hoping to trace it back but found nothing definite yet. My father's family seem particularly elusive.
Any advice anyone can give me about how to go about looking will welcome.
Amanda

[Brenda]

Hallo again Amanda,

Have you posted any 'looking for' messages on appropriate websites e.g. Curious Fox; Cousin Connect; Around.Co.UK; Missing You.  Then there are Wright one-name studies in which you just might find a connection somewhere or Ancestry.Com (which is where I left a message and was found by a woman in Canada whose great grandmother was my great grandmother's sister and I've found an amazing amount out since then and also some other cousins.

Are you a member of Friends Reunited Co.UK?  I did have a browse for Wrights on there but no-one seemed to fit the bill.  I wondered if your brother went to Downham Secondary School which was a boy's school on Downham.  If you aren't a member, I will be more than happy to keep looking on the site in case anything comes up.

I do so understand the need to find connections and roots (as you've probably already guessed!) and do hope something comes up for you soon.

Bren

[christine]

Hello Amanda

Its Christine here - left a message a little while ago.  Just been watching Trisha on Live 5 if you have digital (just while I do the ironing - honestly).  She has been reuniting people on the show - extremely emotional programme.  She put a number out for anyone trying to trace long lost relatives - its 09012 700 550 and for them to ring.  Maybe it might be worth a try?

Christine

[christine]

Sorry Amanda I gave the incorrect channel - its Five Life not Live 5 - a senior moment!
Christine