Children of James & Isabella Wright:

All of James & Isabella’s children were born in St. Mary’s parish, Maldon.

William Charles (Oct 8, 1854 – Oct 28, 1856) He died of scarlet fever.

Harriet (July 6, 1856 – Nov 11, 1919). Harriet was living with her uncle William Charles Murrell at Dockhead, Bermondsey in 1871, working as a domestic servant.
She married Thomas Stapleton Bate on October 23, 1877 in the parish of St. John the Evangelist, Middlesex. The Bate family had a bicycle shop in Maldon. Robert, William & Henry Wright lived with Harriet Bate in 1881 according to the census, whilst Alice and Annie lived with Isabella and Thomas Hayes.
Harriet and Thomas had 12 children, all of which survived to adulthood.

Harriet died at West Hill House in Maldon of malignant disease of the liver. Her husband was still alive and he registered the death.

Mary Ann (March 16, 1858 – Nov 26, 1930 Mary Ann Wright was born on 16 March 1858 at St Mary Maldon according to a certificate that we have. It is possible that this is the wrong birth certificate as in 2004 we have discovered that on the 1891 census she was calling herself Marion. She was also Marion on her marriage certificate to Charles Eusden Broughton. On all the censuses 1861-1901 it also states that she was born in Bermondsey, not Maldon, another indication that we have the wrong birth certificate.

This is “Popsie” who is remembered by Dorothy Wright as living in Westcliff in the 1920s and visiting her brother, Dorothy’s grandfather Edwin James, in Southend.

In 1871 Mary Ann was living with her Uncle Henry Murrell and his family at West Road, West Mersea acting as a general servant. The census shows that she was 13 years old and was born in Middlesex.

Mary Ann married grocer Charles Eusden Broughton at the parish church of St Philip, Lambeth, on February 16 1885. Charles had been married previously to Mary Elizabeth Winter, born about 1859 in Islington, but according to the 1881 census for 1 Oval Road, Lambeth, Charles E Broughton, grocer, was living alone on census night. Having searched the 1881 census for a Mary E. Broughton, married but not with her husband I can only assume that the following is her. In Bethlehem Royal Hospital, Southwark ref RG11/0531/104, Mary E Broughton, insane patient, married aged 22, a gutterwoman born in Islington.

In 1891 at 14-16 Oval Road, Lambeth RG12/399/49 page 38 Charles E Broughton aged 33, a provision dealer, born in Westminster
Marion Broughton his wife aged 32 born in Bermondsey
Gretchen Broughton his daughter aged 5 born in Lambeth
Hayden E Broughton his son aged 3 born in Lambeth
Natalie G Broughton his daughter aged 1 born in Lambeth

In 1901 at 4 Cranbrook Mansions, Lambeth – RG13/415/20 page 32
Marion Broughton aged 37, a widow living on her own means, born in Bermondsey
Gretchen Broughton her daughter aged 15, a theatrical artiste born in Lambeth
Hayden E Broughton her son aged 13 born in Lambeth
Natalie G Broughton her daughter aged 11 born in Lambeth

The fact that Marion was calling herself a widow in 1901 would assume that Charles her husband had died but he was in fact living with his widowed mother and sister at 40 Vincent Square, Westminster.

Mary Ann Broughton, widow of Charles Eusden Broughton, a retired general stores merchant, died aged 72, of myocarditis and chronic bronchitis at 8 Park Hill, Richmond, Surrey. The informant was H E Broughton, son who was present at the death.

Mary Ann’s daughter Gretchen Broughton (1886 – ?) married Clinton Seymour Peterson, an American in 1901. Clinton, from the turn of the century through the 1920s enjoyed a remarkable career as a vaudeville star, working in a trained horse act, later branching out into acrobatics, first as Auer and DeOnzo then with his wife Gretchen as The Auers and finally, as the Novelty Clintons famous for extraordinary jumping.

Gretchen Broughton and Clinton Peterson

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