Elijah C. Wright  

    Elijah C. Wright, deceased was born in Wayne County, Indiana January 27, 1817, a son of David and Hepzabeth (Coffin) Wright, who were natives of Guilford County, North Carolina and of Irish and Welsh ancestry. His mother was a daughter of Libni and Hepzabeth (Starbuck) Coffin, natives Nantucket of English ancestry. His father being a farmer he was reared to the same avocation, remaining with his parents until he grew to manhood.

   He was married September 29, 1836 to Miss Rachel Vore, a daughter of Thomas Vore, a native of Pennsylvania. Three children were born to this union, of whom only one daughter, Rhoda Ann, born November 22, 1840, grew to womanhood. Hannah Ellen and one unnamed died in infancy.

   In 1843 Mr. Wright came with his family to Jay County and settled on a tract of eighty acres of unimproved land which had been entered for him from the government. He was bereaved by the death of his wife, February 2, 1849. He was again married January 10, 1850, to Miss Elizabeth Coffin, a daughter of Nathaniel and Lydia (Bunker) Coffin, and three children were born to them – Pauline S., born December 27, 1851 is the wife of George F. Jones of Richmond; Malvern Otis, born October 14, 1859, was married May 18, 1884 to Lydia Stanbury and Francis E., born October 16, 1866.

   Mr. Wright cleared and improved the land on which he first settled on coming to Jay County, and there made his home until his death.

   He was reared in the Society of Friends. He was a zealous worker in the house of temperance, was a Good Templar, and a member of the Sons of temperance. He served one term as township assessor.
His widow still survives and is one of the oldest living residents of Penn Township.

Biographical && Historical Record of Jay County, Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.
Transcribed by Jim Cox