Referenced in the family
Benjamin Gile Wright
b. 1809
Life
Records & Research
Benjamin Gile Wright (recorded variously as Benjamin Guyal Wright and Benjamin Gil Wright) was born 6 March 1809 in Johnstown, Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada, the son of George Wright (b. 1788) and Phoebe Whitley (b. 1790) — both parents matching the trusted anchor facts. He married Margaret Finch (1815-1884) about 1831 and had several children. Known locally as "Uncle Ben," he was a Strangite Mormon and early settler of the Wrightsville/Hall's Creek area of Jackson County, Wisconsin; he died there 25 July 1900, aged 91, and is buried in East Lawn Cemetery, Alma Center, Jackson County, Wisconsin. The identity is well-supported by a multi-anchor match (exact birth date plus both parents) on the FindAGrave memorial and corroborating genealogical sources.
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Born 6 March 1809 in Johnstown, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. This exactly matches the trusted anchor birth date of 1809-03-06.
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Son of George Wright (b. 1788) and Phoebe Whitley (b. 1790), confirming both parents named in the trusted anchor facts.
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Married Margaret Finch (1815-1884) about 1831.
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Father of several children, including George Wright (1833-1906), Amanda Wright Prindle (1835-1915), Phoebe A. Wright Jesse (1836-1914), Moses Wright (1840-1878), Zilpha Wright Whitney (1842-1929), Louisa Wright Lower (1844-1931), and Theodore Wright (1855-1934).
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Died 25 July 1900, aged 91, at the home of his son George Wright in Wrightsville, Jackson County, Wisconsin.
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Buried in East Lawn Cemetery, Alma Center, Jackson County, Wisconsin (Row 4, Grave 5).
Differs from the report
birth date / birth place (Madison Historical Society death record): report says “Report and gravestone: born 6 March 1809, Johnstown, Leeds, Ontario, Canada”, records indicate “Madison Historical Society death record lists 'Date of Birth: 1798' and 'Birth Place: Toronto, Canada'”. The death record's own age field (91 years, 5 months, 19 days at death on 25 Jul 1900) back-calculates to a birth in early 1809, NOT 1798 — so the stated '1798' is an internal inconsistency in that record. The FindAGrave header (verified by browser fetch: 6 Mar 1809, aged 91 at death) and the anchor facts agree. 'Toronto' vs 'Johnstown, Leeds' is a minor place discrepancy; both are in Ontario, and the family is documented in Leeds County. Net: the secondary death record's birth fields are unreliable and do not override the confirmed 1809 date. tree ↗findagrave ↗
middle name: report says “Gile”, records indicate “Recorded variously as 'Guyal' (FindAGrave), 'Gil' (Madison Historical Society death record), and 'Gile' (genealogical sources)”. These are spelling variants of the same middle name for the same person; not a substantive identity discrepancy. The trusted anchor uses 'Gile'. findagrave ↗
Not yet confirmed — probable matches and family lore, shown for research. Treat with caution.
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An early settler and Strangite Mormon ('Latter Day Saints') figure in the Wrightsville/Hall's Creek area of Jackson County, Wisconsin; known locally as 'Uncle Ben Wright.' likely
likely James J. Strang son-in-law claim / which daughter: report “Dossier finding attributed the marriage to James J. Strang specifically to daughter Phoebe A. Wright Jesse (1836-1914)” vs. found “The memorial bio states only 'Benjamin's daughter married James J. Strang' and does NOT name which daughter; Phoebe A. Wright Jesse's listed surname (Jesse) and dates do not by themselves establish her as Strang's wife”. The specific attribution to Phoebe A. Wright Jesse is an inference beyond what the source states and has been removed from the children finding. The general claim that one of Benjamin's daughters married Strangite leader James J. Strang is supported by the genealogy quoted on the memorial; the exact daughter remains unverified and is flagged as an open question.
Open questions (5)
- Which of Benjamin's daughters married James J. Strang? The memorial bio says 'Benjamin's daughter married James J. Strang' without naming her; the dossier's prior attribution to Phoebe A. Wright Jesse (1836-1914) is not supported by the cited source and has been removed. Strang's documented wives include a Phoebe Wright (b. ~1839), so a daughter named Phoebe is plausible but the specific identification needs a primary source.
- The genopro narrative lists BOTH 'Benjamin Guyal' and a separate 'Benjamin' among Phineas Wright's brothers; it is unclear whether these are two distinct sons or a duplicate listing of the same person. The records identified here all consolidate to one Benjamin Guyal/Gile Wright (1809-1900).
- Exact death/burial place naming: the obituary and death record say Wrightsville, while the marked grave is in East Lawn Cemetery, Alma Center, Jackson County. Confirm whether remains were originally interred at Wrightsville and later relocated, or whether 'Wrightsville' simply referenced the locality.
- Theodore Wright (1855-1934) appears on the FindAGrave memorial as a seventh child but was omitted from the original dossier; confirm he belongs to this family (a birth ~1855 is plausible for the family) via an independent record.
- A FamilySearch Family Tree profile for this Benjamin Wright was not directly located/verified; could provide additional source citations and confirm the children list independently.
Sources consulted (5)
- Benjamin Guyal Wright (6 Mar 1809 - 25 Jul 1900) - Find a Grave Memorial 229002181, East Lawn Cemetery, Alma Center, Jackson County, Wisconsin (fetched and verified during audit) · findagrave
- Phineas Wright (brother of Benjamin Guyal Wright) - genopro Azrael family tree 2210031, with quoted Madison Historical Society death record and Wrightsville local history · tree
- George Wright (1788-1874) - Geni.com (lists son 'Benjamine Guyal Wright' and wife Phoebe Whitley) · tree
- George Wright (1788) - FamilySearch ancestors · tree
- FindAGrave search results for Benjamin Wright, Wisconsin, b.~1809 d.1900 (one matching record) · other
Ancestry
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